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How Fair Is The Term "Noncompliant" When It Comes To Patients?

Most of us have heard the term “noncompliant.” We tend to hear this being said often in the medical world.

Three examples of a patient being labeled as noncompliant include:

  1. a patient can be called noncompliant if he/she doesn’t follow the medication regimen assigned to them by his/her doctor.
  2. a patient doesn’t adhere to follow up schedule recommended by his/her physician.
  3. a patient doesn’t go through the necessary testing (lab work, imaging studies, etc) recommended by his/her physician.

That term, to me, has a negative connotation. It kind of comes off as a politically correct way of saying that someone isn’t doing all they can to help themselves. And while that may be true for a lot of people, that isn’t always the case. Depending on the situation, a noncompliant patient may end up getting a reputation for being stubborn. This, of course, could be spot on. Or, it could not be.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized there are so many reasons for a person to be labeled “noncompliant” that have absolutely nothing to do with their desire to get better or determination to do whatever necessary to have the best quality of life possible.

Five reasons why labeling a patient “noncompliant” isn’t always black and white:

  1. If someone cannot afford their medications, they likely will not take them. That is technically being noncompliant, but it is certainly not the person’s fault.
  2. If a patient is unable to keep regular follow up appointments, it could be because they are too sick to drive. Or, they cannot drive and have no one to help them get to the appointment.
  3. If an individual doesn’t go through necessary testing it could be for a reason as simple as fear. There are many layers of fear I won’t get into now but it is real, especially when it comes to a person’s health and future.
  4. Concern about unknown outcomes and prognosis. Maybe someone prefers to live in denial because they cannot mentally handle what is going on in their world. It is their way of protecting themselves.. at least for the moment.
  5. A patient might not want to make an appointment every few months because copays cost money. Not to mention gas, tolls, and parking.

The bottom line is that there is so much that goes on in the mind of someone who suffers from a chronic illness like Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis. As many of you know, more research is being done to figure out the mental health ramifications of all the trauma a lot of IBD patients have to endure. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is becoming more commonly diagnosed among people in inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis) community.

Therefore, before labeling someone as “noncompliant” or worrying about if you are looked at like that by your doctor or care team, just remember how gray this all is. Black and white doesn’t exist in the world of chronic illness.

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This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The InflammatoryBowelDisease.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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