Non-adherence to medication and doctor-patient relationship: Evidence from a European survey

Objective: Studies on the determinants of non-adherence to medication have put emphasis in understanding the role of the doctor-patient relationship in individuals’ decision to follow recommendations. Yet, evidence on general perceptions that individuals hold about doctors and their impact on their decision to non-adhere is lacking. This paper aims to explore the issue using data from the European Social Survey (ESS). Methods: The ESS was conducted in 2004/2005 and included 45,700 participants from 24 countries in Europe. A Heckman probit model with sample selection was used for the analysis. Results: The results show that perceptions about doctors constitute the model that better explains non-adherence to prescribed medication. Conclusion and Practice Implications: Our findings confirm that general beliefs individuals have about the doctor-patient relationship impact significantly on their decision to non-adhere to prescribed medication. Key points were shown to be involvement in the decision making process, treating patients as equals and avoiding leaving unresolved issues when prescribing