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Kidney Transplantation: A Guide to the Care of Kidney Transplant Recipients pp 371–382Cite as

Adherence to the Immunosuppressive Regimen in Adult and Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients

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Abstract

Although kidney transplantation (KTx) prolongs life and improves quality of life, it remains a chronic illness, in which patients require continued medical follow-up to monitor graft function and lifelong medication intake. Adherence (also called compliance or concordance) can be defined as the extent to which a person’s behavior (taking medications, following a recommended diet, and/or executing lifestyle changes) corresponds with the agreed recommendations of a healthcare provider.1 For kidney transplantation, non-adherence to the immunosuppressive regimen is common and is increasingly recognized as an important predictor of poor long-term posttransplant outcomes.2,3 Non-adherence is defined as “any deviation from the prescribed medication regimen sufficient to influence adversely the regimen’s intended effect.”4

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Health Services and Nursing Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Fabienne Dobbels PhD

  2. Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Richard N. Fine MD

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  1. Fabienne Dobbels PhD
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  2. Richard N. Fine MD
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Correspondence to Fabienne Dobbels PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Scripps Research Institute, N.Torrey Pines Rd. 10550, La Jolla, 92037, USA

    Dianne B. McKay

  2. Division of Transplantation, Sharp Memorial Hospital, Frost Street 7910, San Diego, 92123, USA

    Steven M. Steinberg

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Dobbels, F., Fine, R.N. (2010). Adherence to the Immunosuppressive Regimen in Adult and Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients. In: McKay, D., Steinberg, S. (eds) Kidney Transplantation: A Guide to the Care of Kidney Transplant Recipients. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1690-7_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1690-7_22

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