Adherence and compliance in the management of asthma: 2

The first article (Vol 7(21): 1313-15) in this two-part article examining the role of compliance in asthma management, discussed the concept of adherence to treatment. In this article, the role of the healthcare professional in improving adherence is discussed in greater depth. When attempting to improve patients' adherence to treatment, the healthcare professional must adopt a number of roles, e.g. counsellor, educator, negotiator and problem-solver. Practical advice and information is provided to facilitate an improved therapeutic alliance between professional and patient, with the emphasis on achieving shared goals.