Motivating patient adherence to allergic rhinitis treatments

Patient nonadherence significantly burdens the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR). Fewer than half of prescribed doses of intranasal corticosteroid medication are taken. The challenges for immunotherapies are even greater. While sustained treatment for 3 to 5 years is required for full benefit, most patients receiving immunotherapy, either subcutaneous or sublingual, stop treatment within the first year. Although research into interventions to improve AR adherence is lacking, lessons learned from adherence interventions in other chronic health conditions can be applied to AR. Two well-established, overriding models of care-the chronic care model and patient-centered care-can improve adherence. The patient-centered care model includes important lessons for allergy providers in their daily practice, including understanding and targeting modifiable barriers to adherence. Additionally, recent studies have begun to leverage health information and communication technologies to reach out to patients and promote adherence, extending patient-centered interventions initiated by providers during office visits.