( Patients not complying with their derma...)Patients Not Complying With Their Dermatologic Problem,Health

Patients not complying with their dermatologic treatment is a universal problem that doctors need to address, according to Steven Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in an editorial published in the current issue of Archives of Dermatology.

He said non-compliance can explain why some conditions may seem resistant to treatment.

Physicians must develop practical measures to improve patient's compliance behavior: establishing strong, trusting physician-patient relations, choosing medications that can fit patients' lifestyles, using patient education materials designed to motivate without overly stressing risks, and scheduling a follow-up visit shortly after initiating a new treatment, writes Feldman, a professor of dermatology.

Feldman says that dermatology research studies that involve electronically recording patient's usage of a treatment, without them being aware of it, show that non-compliance is more pervasive that previously estimated.

Understanding that non-adherence to treatment is widespread is essential for addressing many of the difficult-to-manage skin disease dilemmas seen in dermatology, Feldman said. By addressing adherence, we can achieve better success for patients with psoriasis and other chronic skin diseases.

Feldman says he has had personal experience with patient noncompliance. He had acne and wanted to see how well current anti-acne medications work. He planned to take a photo of the rash, put the medicine on once a day and then take a photograph one week later.

I wanted to make sure I didnt forget to apply the medication, so I put it on top of my toothbrush, he said. The first night I used the medication. The second night I managed to brush my teeth and still forget to put the medication on. The third and fourth nights I went out of town and forgot to bring the medication with me. And I tend to be on the obsessive compulsive side
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