There is considerable heterogeneity in patient risk of nonadherence,
and this heterogeneity is not well understood.
Patients vary in disease status and severity, comorbidities, and
demographics, all of which have been associated with nonadherence;
however, patients also differ in less discernible traits,
such as their beliefs about therapy effectiveness, preferences for health care, and abilities to understand and remember how to
take their medications according to the therapeutic plan. While
patients can experience recognizable relief from analgesics,
they often receive no symptomatic relief from medications for
chronic diseases. For example, patients taking cholesterol-lowering
medications to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events
do not experience short-term benefits; consequently, they miss
a cue to the importance of taking medications as directed. An
important research priority is therefore to evaluate how patient
beliefs and behavior may challenge appropriate health care
delivery and utilization.