GLOSSARY
 

Adherence, Compliance and Persistence are all terms commonly used to describe medication-taking behaviour.


Adherence as defined by WHO as the extent in which a person’s behavior (in) taking medication, corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider – requires a person’s agreement to the recommended therapy.


Compliance suggests that a person is passively following a doctor’s orders, rather than actively collaborating in the treatment process.


Persistence is defined as the capacity a person has to continue taking an intended course of medication or treatment regimen.


Patient-Reported Outcome or PRO is a questionnaire used to collect responses directly from a patient regarding their current treatment regimens. PRO is an umbrella term that incorporates a range of potential types of measurement, but is applied specifically to questionnaires completed by the patient. PROs data may be collected via interviewer-administered or self-administered questionnaires. 
Acronyms Full Name Website (if relevant)
AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality http://www.ahrq.gov/
ASHP American Society of Health – System Pharmacists http://www.ashp.org/
CCD Complex Chronic Disease
CMS Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services http://www.cms.hhs.gov/
MMA Medicare Modernization Act
MTMP Medication therapy Management Programs legislated program through MMA
FDA Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/
HHS Health and Human Services (USA) http://www.hhs.gov/
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
NCL National Consumers League http://www.nclnet.org/
NCPA National Community Pharmacists Association http://www.ncpanet.org/
NCPIE National Council on Patient Information and Education http://www.talkaboutrx.org/
NHDR National Healthcare Disparities Report Published report
OTC Over the Counter Pharmacy term
PHIPA Personal Health Information Protection Act
PROs Patient Report Outcomes See below
WHO World Health Organization http://www.who.int/en/