Dental CE Course: Closing the Gap to Adherence in Schizophrenia: Putting Evidence Into Practice

Discontinuation of treatment has been identified as a grave concern and obstacle to optimal outcomes in patients with schizophrenia, and a major contributor to discontinuation of treatment is lack of patient adherence to treatment. To improve compliance among patients, psychiatrists first must identify noncompliant patients and then institute a treatment plan that will take into consideration the barriers to compliance that many patients face. Clinicians also must examine their own barriers to optimizing patient adherence, such as whether they are employing guideline recommendations and taking advantage of available strategies and options. Finally, clinicians must have strategies for monitoring compliance on an ongoing basis and in a way that patients will accept. This activity is intended to address each of these items through expert commentary provided from a highly respected psychiatrist in schizophrenia.