Research and discussion on compliance with medical regimens have been taken because compliance is an important part of a treatment. This paper discusses the meanings adopted to compliance and the factors associated to it in the current literature. Presuppositions, concepts, methodologies, target public and the doctor and patient roles approach of studies on compliance were analyzed. The factors associated with compliance referred in the literature, such as the type of treatment, illness and doctors communication; the qualitative, direct and indirect methodologies adopted, many times with inspect character, were also discussed. We conclude that studies of medications use generally do not emphasize the patient role in the health/illness/treatment process, and so, can not be as comprehensive as necessary.
Compliance; Adherence; Medical regimens; Use of medication; Patient role