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Testicular Cancer | Factors Affecting Adherence to Medical Advice

Purpose: To identify reasons why a young male with testicular cancer may or may not adhere with recommendations for followup and care.

Description

Followup is important for a male with testicular cancer since early detection can be life-saving. Moynihan et al monitored adherence in young males with testicular cancer. They identified a number of factors that may predict poor compliance with medical advice. The authors are from the Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust.


 

Factors impacting the patient’s adherence:

(1) trust of the physician

(2) perception of how they were being treated as a person

(3) communication difficulties related to deviation from stereotypic expectations

 

A male is less likely to respond to a reminder for followup or adhere to other recommendations if he:

(1) does not trust the physician

(2) does feel that he is being treated as a person

(3) is having problems communicating his needs

 

Additional problems could arise if there are cultural, language and/or economic barriers.

 

Ways to improve followup and adherence of these patients:

(1) Provide education about the importance of followup.

(2) Be aggressive in followup.

(3) Identify the contributing factors and adjust the management strategy accordingly.

 


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10