Adherence: Dracup and Meleis (1982) defined adherence
as “a willingness on the part of the patient to
participate with the prescribed regimen” (p. 31). Shay
(2008) described adherence as “one’s ability to maintain
the behaviors associated with a plan of care. This often
involves taking medications, keeping appointments, or
changing health behaviors” (p. 42). Nonadherence with
oral medication occurs “when the failure to comply is
sufficient to interfere appreciably with achieving the
therapeutic goal” (O’Hanrahan & O’Malley, 1981, p.
291) and “can range from a complete failure to take
the prescribed medication to the patient’s altering of
either dose or duration of therapy