Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Patient Adherence to Therapy: Findings from a Qualitative Study

Background/Objectives: Therapeutic adherence remains a critical challenge in the management of chronic conditions, yet most research has focused on pharmacological adherence from the perspective of physicians and pharmacists. The views of non-physician healthcare professionals-particularly physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, and nurses-remain underrepresented. This study aims to explore how these four healthcare disciplines perceive the factors influencing therapeutic adherence, the strategies they use to support it, and how they address patient resilience in clinical practice. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 32 healthcare professionals (8 per discipline) recruited through purposive sampling across diverse care settings across Spain. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis following a hybrid deductive-inductive approach. Quality criteria were applied in accordance with the standards proposed by Lincoln and Guba. Results: Three thematic domains emerged. Patient-related factors, especially motivation, health literacy, illness beliefs, and socioeconomic constraints, emerged as central determinants across all disciplines. Health system barriers, particularly limited consultation time and fragmented continuity of care, also constituted significant barriers. Discipline-specific strategies ranged from the teach-back technique and customized visual aids in nursing and podiatry to functional goal-setting and group-based dynamics in physiotherapy and expectation-setting and digital follow-up in psychology. Resilience was consistently described as a key mediating factor enabling patients to sustain adherence despite adversity. Conclusions: Therapeutic adherence is a multifactorial and discipline-sensitive phenomenon. The complementary strategies identified across professions support the value of coordinated interdisciplinary approaches. Resilience-informed interventions and profession-specific adherence training represent promising directions for improving clinical practice and professional education.