Updated April 03, 2015.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

In addition to medical issues effecting asthma medication compliance, there are a host of social and non-drug factors. Some of these are parent-centered, while others are more provider-centered.

Non- Drug Factors For Asthma Medication Compliance

1. Information Overload- Misunderstanding Or Lack Of Instruction. Asthma is a very complicated disease. You may receive or find all sorts of information on complications, risk factors, treatments and medication. If you are newly diagnosed, you may be faced with taking medications for the first time. Patients who have poor asthma medication compliance often have not been adequately instructed. Patients will often come to clinic without an understanding of the purpose of each of their asthma inhalers– thinking that they need to take their rescue inhaler daily despite no symptoms or taking their inhaled steroid as needed for symptoms. Three questions you ask your doctor can help you overcome information overload or poor instruction by focusing on information that you need to know. The questions are:
   
   1. What is my main problem?
   2. What do I need to do?
   3. Why is it important for me to do this?
   
   Finally, you need to be able to tell your healthcare provider that you do not understand. Do not just sit in front of a healthcare professional and say you understand when you do not. It is their job to make sure that you fully understand what you are being asked to do.
   

1. Dissatisfaction With Your Asthma Healthcare Provider. While this sometimes might be due to whether you see an asthma specialist compared to a primary care physician, it is more likely due to communication. Doctors displaying good communication skills are more likely to have more satisfied patients and patients with higher asthma medication compliance. Additionally, your doctor is more likely to provide something like a health information prescription if they are really busy. Additionally, patients of doctors who have higher job satisfaction scores and make it easier for you to schedule follow up appointments are more likely to follow treatment recommendations.
   
2. Unexpressed Fears Or Concerns. There are often things that patients are concerned about, but may not mention to their doctor. For example, a mom may be concerned that inhaled steroids may stunt her child’s growth or she may fear a child having an asthma attack while at school or a friend’s house. Both could lead to parental behaviors that will adversely impact the child. If fearing a medication side effect leads to asthma medication non-compliance, the child’s asthma could get worse. In the latter example, the child could also be adversely from a social/ developmental perspective.
   

1. Incorrect Assumptions. Many patients incorrectly assume that if they are not having symptoms then they do not need to take medications. Many patients sometimes fail to understand that asthma never really goes away and it is not cured. Many other incorrect assumptions still exist in the asthma community today like you cannot exercise when you have asthma or that medications become ineffective if used everyday. The only way to combat these incorrect assumptions is to establish an open and honest relationship with you
   
2. Stigmatisation. Many patients are concerned about being labeled. In asthma this means that you may not want others to see you using an inhaler or taking other medication. Patients often want to “hide” their medication. While you might expect this in adolescents, it is also a common feeling in adult asthma patients. This is important because people who see asthma as a stigma have less effective self management skills.
   

Sources

1. Mika J. Mäkeläa, Vibeke Backerb, Morten Hedegaardc, Kjell Larssond. Adherence to inhaled therapies, health outcomes and costs in patients with asthma and COPD. Accessed October 4, 2013.
2. Cerveri, F. Locatelli, M.C. Zoia, A. Corsico, S. Accordini, R. de Marco. International variations in asthma treatment compliance: the results of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Eur Respir J, 14 (1999), pp. 288–294.
3. DiMatteo, M. Robin; Sherbourne, Cathy Donald; Hays, Ron D.; Ordway, Lynn; Kravitz, Richard L.; McGlynn, Elizabeth A.; Kaplan, Sherrie; Rogers, William H. Physicians’ characteristics influence patients’ adherence to medical treatment: Results from the Medical Outcomes Study. Health Psychology, Vol 12(2), Mar 1993, 93–102.
4. Neda Ratanawongsa, MD, MPH; Andrew J. Karter, PhD; Melissa M. Parker, MS; Courtney R. Lyles, PhD; Michele Heisler, MD, MPA; Howard H. Moffet, MPH; Nancy Adler, PhD; E. Margaret Warton, MPH; Dean Schillinger, MD. Communication and Medication Refill Adherence. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(3):210–218.
5. Kelly L. Andrews, Sandra C. Jones, Judy Mullan. Stigma: Still an Important Issue for Adults With Asthma. Journal of Asthma and Allergy Educators. August 2013 vol. 4 no. 4 165–171.