The word “noncompliance” is frequently used to refer to patients in literature and casual conversations among healthcare professionals. Despite the concept’s extensive use, experts in the medical and social sciences agree that it has no clear definition and may have detrimental effects on patient care (Chandra, Kumar, Reddy, & Reddy, 2014). Although the term “noncompliance” describes how patients adhere to or disregard their medication or treatment regimens, it needs to be deconstructed to improve the quality of care.
When healthcare professionals refer to a patient’s lack of compliance, they negatively affect that patient’s desire to follow their treatment plans. Patients who refuse to take their prescribed therapies, including medications, are included in the idea (Miller, 2016). The premise has an impact on patient care. For instance, when a patient doesn’t comply, medical professionals may infer that the person has steadfastly refused to adhere to the recommended course of treatment.
The patient’s treatment outcome could be improved if the assumption is correct. As a result, nurses should alter the assumptions surrounding the use of the phrase. For instance, they should refrain from assuming that the patient has objected to the prescribed course of action. They should instead analyze the fundamental causes of the noncompliance, such as cultural or spiritual beliefs.
In general, nurses and other healthcare professionals should alter how they address noncompliance with their patients. They should refrain from presuming that a patient is uncooperative. Instead, they should work alongside patients to comprehend the fundamental reasons behind behavior and aid the ill in overcoming any difficulties related to their health.