title: Compliance behavior and long-term maintenance dialysis.
abstract: Compliance with the therapeutic regimen is a critical and frequently confusing concept both for chronic renal failure patients and for care-givers. A panel group of maintenance dialysis patients was followed over a period of 9 years to identify the variables associated with positive or negative compliance behavior. Individual patient changes in adherence to the therapeutic regimen over time were also examined. Significant differences related to social support, especially when the demographic variable of education was controlled, were found. Serendipitous and surprising results were also documented when compliance behavior was evaluated in relation to patient mortality. From the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, a typology of "ritual" versus "reasoned" compliance was derived.
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of America, School of Nursing, Washington, DC 20064.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008134:Long-Term Care; D010349:Patient Compliance; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012944:Social Support