An Integrative, Patient-Centered Approach to Treatment Non-Adherence: Moving from Conflict to Collaboration

Objectives

At the completion of the session participants will be able to:

1. Understand patient and healthcare provider contributors to patient non-adherence
2. Discuss healthcare provider negative reaction to patient non-adherence, including contributing factors, and its effect on provider-patient relationships
3. Discuss an interprofessional team-based approach to addressing patient non-adherence
4. Contrast the concepts of treatment non-adherence and patient autonomy
5. Understand the use of integrative medicine approaches to facilitate healthcare provider wellness and stress management (e.g. yoga, meditation)
6. Understand the use of an integrative medicine approach to support patients’ physical and emotional wellness and facilitate team-based decision making (e.g. mind-body approaches, acupuncture)

Activity Description

 The integrative approach to healthcare asserts that the provider-patient relationship is an integral component of the healing process.   This relationship is crucial to discussions of treatment recommendations yet these interactions may be affected by hidden agendas and concerns of both the patient and the clinician.  When patients do not follow treatment recommendations healthcare providers may respond with irritation and criticism, often labeling the patient ‘non-adherent’ or ‘non-compliant.’  Patients may perceive this criticism and respond with anger or withdrawal, often leading to a fractured clinician-patient relationship.  Participants in this session will explore factors leading to clinician discomfort with treatment non-compliance such as fatigue, desire for control, psychological stress and poor self-care and learn strategies for addressing them.  In addition we will discuss common reasons for treatment non-adherence such as fear, pain, cognitive issues, and the desire for self-determination.  An interprofessional, integrative approach that addresses the needs of both the clinician and the patient is ideal and can transform a conflicted relationship into a collaborative one.  Integrative modalities such as mind-body medicine, motivational interviewing, acupuncture, nutrition, yoga and meditative breathing techniques will be discussed.  The ethical principle of patient autonomy will be actively explored.