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Compliance, concordance, and patient-centered care

Authors Lawn S

Published 9 February 2011 Volume 2011:5 Pages 89—90

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S17822



Sharon Lawn
Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Margaret Tobin Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia

Since the appearance of the WHO compliance–adherence report1,2 we have had confirmed what many patients and health professionals have known for a long time, that many patients simply do not follow health professionals’ advice – they vary that advice to suit their needs. Also, health professionals often do not follow evidence-based guidelines when providing treatment and care to patients. We have tended to cope with these phenomena by labeling patients as ‘noncompliant’, or, worse, and have denied them treatment access in some settings or imposed treatment against their will. Mental health settings provide a stark focused lens on this phenomenon, but it likely pervades many other areas of health care.

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