Dr Tim Ringrose, CEO of Cognitant Group explores the issue of non-compliance within the NHS and how technology can help combat this growing issue.
Medicines
Non-compliance in healthcare has cost the NHS an estimated £300 million. With over 50% of patients not taking medication as prescribed, patients are not receiving the beneficial effects of medication or therapy, leading to poor outcomes and unnecessary complications or costs.
What is non-compliance in healthcare, and what impact does it have on patients and the NHS?
Non-compliance (or “non-adherence”) is used by healthcare professionals to describe a situation in which a patient does not take their prescribed medication or treatment as directed. As healthcare moves away from paternalistic medicine towards person-centred care, “non-compliance” is often regarded as an old-fashioned term, but research shows that for one reason or another many patients are simply not taking their medication or treatments as advised; in fact, only 28% of asthma patients use their inhaler correctly.