6 Patients and Healthcare Free Online FlashCards

What is treatment adherence?

Treatment adherence is how closely a person’s actions, such as taking medication or attending appointments, match a plan agreed upon with a healthcare professional.

What five dimensions shape treatment adherence?

The five dimensions are patient-related, condition-related, therapy-related, social and economic, and healthcare-team and system factors.

Why might a patient decide not to start or continue treatment?

A patient may choose not to start or continue treatment when its perceived risks or burdens outweigh its expected benefits.

What is teach-back designed to check?

Teach-back asks patients to explain in their own words what they will do next. It checks whether the explanation was clear, not whether the patient passed a test.

What is shared decision-making?

Shared decision-making combines clinical evidence and professional expertise with the patient’s preferences, priorities, and circumstances to choose a plan together.

How can beliefs about illness influence healthcare decisions?

Beliefs about an illness’s cause, seriousness, controllability, and duration can affect whether a person seeks care or considers treatment worthwhile.

Why should clinicians avoid assuming what motivates a patient?

Evidence linking illness beliefs and adherence is mixed, and no single psychological trait reliably explains patient behavior. Clinicians should explore each person’s perspective.

What can communication improve—and what can it not guarantee?

Better communication is associated with better adherence, but it cannot by itself remove practical barriers or guarantee that a treatment will be followed.

How does adherence differ from compliance?

Adherence emphasizes collaboration around an agreed plan; compliance can imply that patients are expected simply to obey instructions.

Name practical barriers that can make a care plan difficult to follow.

A complicated medication schedule, side effects, cost, forgetfulness, depression, or difficulty reaching a clinic can make a care plan harder to follow.

What communication practices help patients take part in care?

Clinicians can listen without interruption, ask open-ended questions, explain unfamiliar terms plainly, and invite questions.

How can difficult emotions affect a patient’s care?

Fear, stress, sadness, or feeling overwhelmed can make it harder to ask questions, process information, remember instructions, or plan daily care.