ABSTRACT
How to facilitate adherence to medical regimens is not a new question, but recent answers to the question have incorporated strategies using new technologies. The best of these seek to emulate the old wisdom evidenced among savvy, caring providers who knew that no one approach would be effective for all patients in all situations and, thus, crafted individualized interventions for patients under their care. Perhaps the goal was to convince Mrs. Smith to continue taking her pills once she began to feel better or to help Mr. Jones, who was already convinced of the pill's importance, to remember what time he was supposed to take them. Although “adherence-promoting interventions” may not have been in the lexicon, many a practitioner developed and communicated many a plan for helping patients follow treatment or prevention recommendations.
