Lack of education causes patients to stop vital treatments, survey finds

Over three quarters of healthcare professionals call for co-created patient materials to drive engagement and trust, ultimately helping more patients benefit from prescribed treatments.

Nearly 80% of healthcare professionals identify patient education as the main barrier to medication adherence, according to new UK-based research¹. The findings, published in the whitepaper ‘From prescription to persistence: Understanding the realities of medication adherence,’ highlight the need for co-created patient materials to improve engagement and trust.

The survey, conducted by Cognitant Group Ltd, polled over 118 professionals across clinical, healthcare, digital health, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors to understand why, on average, 50% of patients don’t take their medicines as prescribed to them by their doctors. Respondents unanimously cited poor patient education and understanding of their condition and treatment as the number one reason why patients fail to take their medicines as prescribed. More than 75% also said that co-created adherence support materials, developed in collaboration with patients and advocacy groups, are ‘essential’ or ‘very important’ to improving engagement and trust.

“Medication adherence is a global issue,” said Tim Ringrose, founder of Cognitant Group Ltd. “Earlier research indicates that around half of all patients do not follow their treatment plans as prescribed, making adherence one of the most significant barriers to achieving better health outcomes and costing billions in lost revenue worldwide.”

The survey also found that both clinicians and pharmaceutical professionals recognise the need for patient-centred, digitally supported approaches to tackle adherence challenges, with many citing cardiovascular and diabetes as the therapy areas most affected. However, progress is hampered by funding and resource constraints, as well as complex treatment regimens and staffing pressures in clinical settings.

“These findings confirm what we see every day in practice – that medication adherence is not simply about reminding patients to take their medicines,” said Tim. “It’s about making sure they understand why they’re taking them, what to expect and how it fits into their lives. When patients are informed and involved, adherence improves dramatically.”

Empowering patients through clear, accessible education, co-created with those it is designed to support, may be one of the most effective ways to improve adherence and drive better health outcomes.

Both healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical industry respondents identified improved patient outcomes as the most critical goal of adherence strategies, with clinicians emphasising the importance of gaining in-depth patient insights and enhancing professional healthcare support to better address patient needs. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical and life sciences respondents highlighted the significance of cost-effective patient support programmes, increased prescription fill rates and alignment with regulatory requirements as key outcomes, underscoring the shared commitment to improving patient health while addressing operational and compliance challenges.

“Whilst most industries invest equally in customer acquisition and retention, the pharmaceutical sector still devotes the majority of its investment to getting patients onto therapy. Knowing that patients who remain on therapy have the best chance of achieving better outcomes, this survey represents a huge opportunity for pharma to reconsider how it balances its investments,” said Simon Doyle, non-executive director at Cognitant and a key contributor to the whitepaper.

Last week, Cognitant hosted a webinar exploring these findings in more detail, where industry professionals shared practical strategies for improving patient understanding and adherence through education and digital engagement.

Misinformation and the impact it can have on health outcomes was highlighted as a serious concern among attendees, with Tim noting: “The public health impact of the misinformation crisis highlights the ever-greater need for better patient education to improve adherence, and the importance of treating the right patient, at the right time, with the right medication.”

To download the whitepaper, visit: https://www.cognitant.com/prescription-to-persistence/