TY - JOUR
T1 - The meaning of medications
T2 - another look at compliance
AU - Conrad, P.
N1 - Medline is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.
PY - 1985/1/1
Y1 - 1985/1/1
N2 - Most research on compliance with medical regimens takes a doctor-centered perspective and proceeds from certain assumptions. This paper presents an alternative, patient-centered approach to managing medications, using data from 80 in-depth interviews of people with epilepsy. This approach focuses on the meanings of medication in people's everyday lives and looks at why people take their medications as well as why they do not. I argue that from a patient's perspective the issue is more one of self-regulation than compliance. When we examine 'noncompliance' beyond difficulties with 'side effects' an drug efficacy, the meanings of self-regulation include testing, controlling dependence destigmatization and creating a practical practice. What appears to be noncompliance from a medical perspective may actually be a form of asserting control over one's disorder.
AB - Most research on compliance with medical regimens takes a doctor-centered perspective and proceeds from certain assumptions. This paper presents an alternative, patient-centered approach to managing medications, using data from 80 in-depth interviews of people with epilepsy. This approach focuses on the meanings of medication in people's everyday lives and looks at why people take their medications as well as why they do not. I argue that from a patient's perspective the issue is more one of self-regulation than compliance. When we examine 'noncompliance' beyond difficulties with 'side effects' an drug efficacy, the meanings of self-regulation include testing, controlling dependence destigmatization and creating a practical practice. What appears to be noncompliance from a medical perspective may actually be a form of asserting control over one's disorder.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=yv4JPVwI&eid=2-s2.0-0022391433&md5=e081eb131b5d8d77db08297a3fe0f5d4
U2 - 10.1016/0277-9536(85)90308-9
DO - 10.1016/0277-9536(85)90308-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0022391433
VL - 20
SP - 29
EP - 37
JO - Social Science & Medicine
JF - Social Science & Medicine
SN - 0277-9536
IS - 1
ER -