Adherence in Asthma

Medication nonadherence has an unfavorable effect on asthma outcomes in both adult and pediatric patients. In asthma, nonadherence is associated with more frequent exacerbations, increased emergency room visits, and higher costs. Thus, understanding risk factors for nonadherence and identifying barriers to good adherence is crucial. Although adults and pediatric patients share many risk factors for nonadherence, methods to optimize adherence differ. Measuring adherence can be challenging and methods to do so have not been well-defined. The aim of this review is to identify risk factors for, and define consequences of, nonadherence and to suggest methods to measure and improve adherence for both adults and pediatrics.