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Weekly Q&A: Noncompliant patient populations

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, November 1, 2005

This week, a reader asks about identifying noncompliant patients and decreasing the noncompliant patient population. Read the response below from our advisor, Elise Gropper, PhD, APRN, CPHQ, CNAA,BC, president of Gropper & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm in Coral Springs, FL.

Q: I manage an outpatient department and would like to make our individual contribution to the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® initiative by developing an identification tool for our noncompliant patients, then developing tools to decrease our noncompliant population in the outpatient department. Any suggestions?

A: Many researchers have studied non-compliance in patients over the decades. In nursing school, we learned that nursing theories must include four concepts: person, environment, health, and nursing. I've found in my own research endeavors that if you shift your focus from health to comfort, and find out why the patient is seeking your healthcare services, you may discover that they are doing so to be more comfortable, not specifically to be healthier.

People are more likely to seek out healthcare services due to discomfort or pain (e.g., physical or emotional). By focusing on the aspect that primarily draws them to seek out healthcare, you can help noncompliant patients become more compliant. Once you understand their perspective, you can do this by showing "what's in it for them."

Therefore, your tool should focus on

• the healthcare issue
• the aspect of the issue that is most important to the patient
• the patient's daily habits and environment
• the nursing services you provide

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