Eyedrop Adherence Vs. Eyedrop Compliance: What’s the Difference?
It’s a common occurrence for doctors to prescribe patients with medications, lifestyle changes, and therapies to be performed at home. For eye doctors, this includes giving specific instructions on eyedrop treatments for patients whose eyesight might be at risk without them. When a patient doesn’t follow the drop instructions correctly and admits this to the doctor, they are considered non-compliant with the treatment. On the other hand, someone who correctly follows their instructions is considered compliant.
But in other areas of the medical field, you’ll commonly hear the term “patient adherence” also being used, especially in reference to the recommendations given to a patient by a doctor. In the ophthalmic world, patient adherence describes a patient who abides by the doctor’s directions to new lifestyle changes or drop therapies. So isn’t that the same thing as being compliant?
It turns out there is a big distinction between “treatment adherence” and “treatment compliance.” Understanding the difference can help familiarize patients with the terminology, and encourage more people to be proactive when it comes to their eye health. Read on to learn more!
Is It Adherence or Compliance?
The primary difference between patient adherence and patient compliance comes down to a proactive mindset versus a reactive mindset: simply following orders versus taking responsibility for your own health.
Patient compliance is the reactive (or even passive) response to treatment given by a doctor. One research article clarifies the terminology and describes compliance as “the extent to which patients follow doctors’ prescription and medicine taking.”
In the case of an eye doctor, for example, this might involve a patient dutifully following the eyedrop instructions they were given, such as instilling a drop of latanoprost every night before bedtime. The patient is compliant in that they are simply doing as they’re told by a medical professional and using the correct doses — checking off boxes in their treatment schedule.
Patient adherence, on the other hand, is a proactive, empowering behavior for patients, according to the World Health Organization. In the face of a treatment regimen, a patient is “adherent” when their lifestyle decisions and attitude reflect the goodwill of their doctor’s guidance and their own health. A patient who is adherent with their eye health, for instance, will actively take responsibility for the well-being of their vision and agrees to move forward with treatment and care as a result. They may even go so far as to lessen screentime, use artificial tears, and perform other tasks on their own to keep their eyesight healthy. Other general adherent habits include exercising, getting better sleep, and improving your diet.
The difference between adherence and compliance is mainly a matter of the patient’s willingness versus their actions. A patient can be compliant but non-adherent, and vice-versa. If a patient wants to do everything possible to promote their eye health but eases up on their eyedrop treatment because they start feeling subjectively better, they are adherent but non-compliant with the drop therapy.
It might feel like a “chicken or the egg” question, but the distinction between treatment adherence and treatment compliance is an important one—especially when talking about taking responsibility for your own health. One involves behavior, while the other involves abiding by directions.
Why is the Distinction Important?
By understanding the difference between adherence and compliance, patients and healthcare providers alike can find better ways to be on the same page when treatments and therapies are concerned. Non-compliance with treatment is a major health problem across the globe; a study in 2001 even found that nearly 75% of healthcare patients are non-compliant with their treatments in some way. Any improvements to patient adherence are likely to increase the rate of patient compliance!
For example, a doctor can improve patient adherence by properly educating them on medical conditions, specific treatments, and potential side-effects, establishing good communication. At the same time, a reasonable treatment schedule with simple instructions can improve patient compliance.
Patients can also take advantage of the distinction by asking their doctor more questions, being open about concerns, and staying committed to leading a healthy life. If you understand the ins and outs of your condition and treatment, after all, you’ll feel more motivated to stick to it!
Ideally, doctors want their patients to be both adherent and compliant with their directions. It falls upon both parties to make sure that happens.
Get a Headstart With Your Eyedrops
It’s no secret that eyedrop treatments can be tedious, especially with eye conditions which must be carefully managed for years. Patient adherence is all about taking the reins of your health, but that can be difficult to do when eyedrops cost so much…and run out so quickly! Even if you land every drop perfectly, most bottles put out too much for your eyes to absorb anyway. A lot gets wasted.
If you want to take control of your eye health without spending a fortune, our Nanodropper Adaptor can lighten the load by minimizing your eyedrops to the correct absorption size for your eye, making your medication last by two to three times longer while still providing enough medication per drop!
