Medication adherence

Half of all patients treated for chronic diseases do not take their medications as prescribed. Poor adherence is estimated to cause nearly 200,000 deaths in Europe each year, at a cost of 80–125 billion euros. Research has identified many reasons for poor adherence, related to the patient, healthcare, the disease, and the medication.

In recent years, a multitude of technological innovations (E-health & digital therapeutics) have been introduced. They have significant potential to support healthcare professionals and increase patient involvement and engagement in their medication treatment. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how they are used and what effects they have.

Our research focuses on evaluating adherence to treatment in general, from both the patient's and healthcare professionals' perspectives, and how new digital tools and services can be used to support patients and healthcare professionals, thereby increasing adherence to medication treatments.

Currently, an interview study is underway with individuals with type 2 diabetes regarding how digital tools and services can support adherence to medication treatment.

Our research group is also involved in the ENABLE Adherence Network Innovation Hub, which was established in 2025 to continue the collaboration on adherence following the conclusion of the European research project COST Action ENABLE Adherence. The collaboration aims to promote better knowledge and awareness of treatment adherence and to explore how various digital technologies can contribute to improved adherence and enhanced quality of life. More information about the previous project can be found here.

The research group is also part of the Swedish adherence network SMedAN, which was launched in Uppsala in the autumn of 2024.

Selected publications in the field

• Gottlieb H, Seghers L, Leiva-Fernandez F, Ghiciuc CM, Hafezm G, Herdeiro MT, Tomas Petrović A, Novais T, Schneider MP, Dima A, Wettermark B. European Network to Advance Best Practices Technology on Medication Adherence (ENABLE). Medication adherence in the curricula of future European physicians, pharmacists and nurses - a cross-sectional survey. BMC Med Educ 2025;25(1):339
  
• Nordenskjöld AM, Lindhagen L, Wettermark B, Lindahl B. Impact of persistence to secondary preventive medication on prognosis for patients with myocardial infarction with and without obstructive coronary arteries. PLoS One. 2025;20(5):e0324533.
  
• Ekenberg M, Landin F, Wettermark B. A cross-sectional study identifying Medication Adherence Technologies (MATech) in Sweden using behavior change techniques. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2024 Nov 13;18:2281-2293
• Socioeconomic factors associated with poor medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes. (Ekenberg Marie, Qvarnström Miriam, Sundström Anders, Martinell Mats, Wettermark Björn. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2023 Oct 23.)
• Malkon S, Wettermark B, Kahan T, Bastholm-Rahmner P, Hasselström J, Qvarnström M. A Qualitative Study on Patients' Views on Hypertension and Antihypertensive Medications. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2023 Dec 13;17:3331-3339. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S429638.
  

Contact:

Marie Ekenberg, PhD student. marie.ekenberg@uu.se

Miriam Qvarnström, senior lecturer. miriam.qvarnstrom@uu.se