Therapy-related factors
There are many therapy-related factors that affect adherence. Most notable are those related to the
complexity of the medical regimen, duration of treatment, previous treatment failures, frequent
changes in treatment, the immediacy of beneficial effects, side-effects, and the availability of medical
support to deal with them.
Unique characteristics of diseases and/or therapies do not outweigh the common factors affecting
adherence, but rather modify their influence. Adherence interventions should be tailored to the needs
of the patient in order to achieve maximum impact.