Relapse

It goes without saying that relapse is a key concern and consequence of non-adherence; beyond relapse may be an overall worsening of the issue at hand. Patients may not always understand the severity of the situation. As a healthcare professional, it's your role to ensure patients are properly educated on what non-adherence can bring.

Quality of Life

Non-adherence can often affect a patient's quality of life negatively. Instead of reverting back to the quality of life pre-plan of care, they may now have feelings of failure, regret, or loss of hope after "trying" to turn things around.

Expenses

When the issues at hand are serious, non-adherence can lead to larger fi nancial obligations including an increase in clinic visits, procedures, or required long-term medication.