Patient Compliance and Patient Education

Running head: PATIENT COMPLIANCE AND PATIENT EDUCATION

Patient Compliance and Patient Education
Mary Manning
Grand Canyon University

March 06, 2011

Patient Compliance and Patient Education
      In the health care field today, there is an increased focus on patient education in order to achieve pertinent patient goals and maintain compliance. The meaning of compliance in the medical realm is when a patient consents to a procedure and the subsequent treatment plan recommended from the physician post procedure. Working in the field of respiratory therapy, it is vital that patient compliance is in place. When respiratory patients or any patient with chronic disease is not compliant they have repeat visits to the emergency room or multiple readmissions to the hospital. Strain in the health care system is impacted when patient are noncompliant, “Nonadherence, which results in increased morbidity, mortality, disability, or increased use of healthcare services, caused decreased productivity through lost work days, and drives up insurance and other health care costs” (Falvo, 2011) (Feldman, 1982; Gerbino, 1993;).
      With the Patients Bill of Rights was published in 1975, it made health care professionals legally responsible to inform patients about their illness, treatment, and to provide them with education in understandable terms (Falvo, 2011). Attitude and perception are essential when caring for patients. If a health care professional has a negative attitude, comes across in a disrespectful manner or appears uncaring, there is an increase risk that the patient may become noncompliant just based off the negative experience they encountered. It is essential that as professionals, our attitudes are positive and that we are respectful and empathetic to our patients.
      Another way to define compliance is when an individual takes ownership and adheres to a plan or expectation that is set before them. Unfortunately, compliance among the elderly and other...