Interventions designed to improve vertigo treatment adherence are often designed without any understanding of what drives patient behavior; as a result, they are only moderately effective The Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) framework is a useful model for understanding non-adherence to vertigo treatments The BCW highlights the importance of addressing patients’ specific concerns regarding their treatment…

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) proposes a stepped approach to effectively change health behaviors The TTM can help providers evaluate beliefs and behaviors affecting patients’ treatment and indicate the support needed to motivate positive change The TTM is one of the most widely used health behavior models and has been shown to have a positive impact…

How do people make difficult decisions? How do people decide which career to undertake, what car to buy, or whether to take medication? Important decisions are typically the result of some degree of thought and planning, a process that Daniel Kahneman labelled “System 2” thinking in his groundbreaking book, Thinking Fast and Slow.1 What is…

The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a model to help understand what patients believe about their health The HBM can be used to identify detrimental patient behaviors caused by a poor understanding of a condition or treatment The HBM can be used to structure interactions with patients to enhance their understanding of treatment and lifestyle…

The human mind has evolved to make decisions and draw the most plausible conclusions regardless of the quality of available information. The decision-making process is influenced by heuristics, or cognitive shortcuts, which can have a significant effect on adherence when relevant information is limited. Understanding heuristics can significantly help us understand patients’ adherence and assist…

Recent breakthroughs in behavioral science demonstrate that people make decisions, including treatment adherence decisions, according to two systems of thinking: System 1, which is rapid but intuitive and biased, and System 2, which is more rational and reflective but complex.  Humans tend to favor System 1.  Both System 1 and System 2 lead to intentional…

Non-adherence factors may be organized into five categories: socioeconomic, health care team and system-related, disease-related, therapy-related, and patient-related. Behavioral drivers of non-adherence are both intentional and unintentional. Despite extensive research, no single model has yet been shown to be highly accurate in predicting patient adherence. Treatment adherence offers a significant opportunity for improved outcomes Characterizing…

Medication non-adherence is widespread and annual cost estimates for developed countries total $290 billion in the US and €1.25 billion in Europe. Vertigo is a significant burden for patients and providers alike, particularly because patients tend to seek emergency care when symptoms are acute.  Small improvements in adherence could significantly improve symptom management and reduce costs. Treatment…

The rapid increase in vertigo disease determinants such as ageing are transforming healthcare needs in developing countries. Medications are effective disease management solutions, but low treatment adherence is widespread. Non-adherence rates reflect a significant opportunity to improve vertigo treatment outcomes in developing countries. Physicians can use a number of simple and efficient strategies to increase…