Adhésion et Interprofessionnalité

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at the institute of pharmaceutical sciences of Western Switzerland

Medication adherence is a key determinant of the ambulatory care system of the 21st century. It is defined as the process by which patients take their medications as prescribed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50% of chronic patients are nonadherent to their treatment worldwide (2003). This creates an endemic, medical and economic threat on the healthcare systems. Research is needed to better document the issue and its contributing factors as well as assess cost-effective, interprofessional adherence-enhancing programs to implement in clinical practice and envision new models of care.

Medication adherence is the core research area of the unit. As a major burden on the ambulatory healthcare system, it is defined as the process by which patients take their medications as prescribed. As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003, worldwide, around 50% of chronic patients are not adherent to their treatment. This exposes them to disease progression, disability, and premature death, leading to increased healthcare consumption and social costs. To address this rising challenge, there is a growing need for comprehensive research.

In our lab, we adopt two complementary perspectives. First, we analyze the issue of nonadherence, its contributing factors, and its economic and social consequences for society and individuals. Second, we investigate organizational experiments to identify barriers and facilitators in the implementation of solutions for non-adherence, such as:

• MyCare Start
• Hug@Home
• Pharma24

One of the key targeted determinants is the quality of communication in health. This includes improving communication with patients to empower them in the medical decision-making process. It also includes communication between healthcare providers and the need to develop interprofessional organizations.

More about our research programs: