treatment adherence
Patient compliance with prescribed medication regimens, measured through pill counts, plasma levels, or electronic monitoring in clinical trials.
Full Definition
Treatment adherence refers to the extent to which patients take medication as prescribed in terms of timing, dosage, and frequency. In psychiatric clinical trials, adherence is critical for interpreting efficacy and safety results and is typically monitored through multiple methods including pill counts, drug plasma concentrations, electronic monitoring devices, and patient-reported measures. Poor adherence can lead to treatment failure, increased relapse rates, and confounded study results. Regulatory guidelines recommend adherence monitoring and may require minimum adherence thresholds for inclusion in per-protocol analyses.
Usage
Usage note: Prefer 'adherence' over 'compliance' in contemporary clinical research writing.
In Context
- "Treatment adherence was assessed through weekly pill counts and plasma drug levels." — Study methodology
- "Patients with <80% treatment adherence were excluded from the per-protocol analysis." — Statistical analysis criteria