Natalia Świątoniowska-Lonc, Adrianna Szalonka, Katarzyna Szalonka

Cost-effects of non-adherence to treatment recommendations – scope review

 

2024-10-24

Subject of the study. Counteracting non-adherence to therapeutic recommendations from an economic perspective should be a key strategy in reducing treatment costs and achieving health benefits for both individuals and populations.

Purpose of the study. The aim of this literature review was to identify the most common economic consequences of non-adherence to therapeutic recommendations in the population of chronically ill patients and to indicate possible ways to reduce the level of non-adherence in this population.

Materials and methods. This narrative review was based on works indexed in the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus. Inclusion criteria included full-text articles available in English, published between 2013–2023, addressing the economic consequences of non-adherence to therapeutic recommendations in chronic diseases.

Results. The analyzed studies showed that the main factors for non-adherence were high medication costs and low economic status of the patients studied. According to available studies, non-adherence to therapeutic recommendations by chronically ill patients is associated with high treatment costs, hospitalizations, and long-term care.

Conclusions. High costs related to non-adherence also include expenses related to more frequent visits to specialists, additional diagnostic tests, and increased need for medical interventions. Additionally, poor health resulting from non-adherence can lead to reduced productivity, affecting patients’ ability to work and generate income. This, in turn, contributes to additional social costs, such as caregiver burden and decreased quality of life for patients and their families. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to collaborate with patients to develop personalized treatment plans that are realistic, accessible, and tailored to the needs and preferences of the patient. Effective counteracting of non-adherence from an economic perspective can lead to significant savings and improved quality of life for patients, which is an important goal for both healthcare systems and societies as a whole.

Keywords: adherence, cost-effectiveness, treatment.

© Farm Pol, 2024, 80(5): 307–315