Is the Problem of Noncompliance All in Our Heads?

The problem of noncompliance has troubled diabetes educators for years. This paper will argue that the problem of noncompliance in diabetes is not so much a problem of patient behavior, but rather stems from the inadequacy of the traditional medical approach to care. The view of the patients' and practitioners' roles embodied in the traditional medical approach to treat ing disease is inappropriate in diabetes because of the self-care requirements. Diabetes requires a new way of con ceptualizing and implementing the patient/practitioner relationship such as the educational approach offered by counseling psychology. This ap proach would view noncompliance a communication problem and advo cate renegotiation of the treatment plan. The first step in successfully ap plying a new approach to relating to patients requires practitioners to examine and become aware of the as sumptions that currently influence their behavior with patients.