Abstract

Adherence has been defined as the extent to which a person's action and behaviour matches the agreed recommendations from a clinician.^1,2 It is a continuous and dynamic process influenced by many factors, including the disease, the treatments, the healthcare team and system, social and economic factors, as well as patient-related factors.¹ Non-adherence may adversely affect clinical outcomes and lead to increased healthcare costs.^1-3 Reported rates of adherence are around 50% for people with long-term conditions, and may be as low as 30% among adolescents (aged 10–19 years).^1,3,4 Around 20% of those aged under 18 years have a chronic illness and treatment often requires long-term cumbersome regimens including multiple daily medicines, making adherence challenging.^1,3,5 It is important to distinguish between intentional and non-intentional adherence and to tailor interventions to the individual, using every healthcare contact as an opportunity to discuss adherence.¹ Here we consider the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in encouraging adolescents to adhere to treatment regimens (in particular taking medicines) and some strategies that may help.