Patient Compliance in Medical Practice and Clinical Trials

Patient noncompliance with medical regimens is a major factor in therapeutic failure and is particularly detrimental to clinical trials. This text aims to address the entire scope of compliance issues, and describes electronic monitoring devices that record actual dose times. Traditional methods of assessing compliance, such as patient history, drug levels, and counting pills or prescription refills, are also discussed. The review of everyday clinical problems facing practitioners everywhere is complemented by discussions on the impact of noncompliance in research and the drug regulatory process. Health care providers in all fields as well as clinical trial researchers should find useful ideas throughout the book.