Objective: No studies have explored the negative process of concordance: discordance in prescribing-medication-taking. This study provides a deeper understanding of discordance as a co-constructed process among patients and prescribers.
Methods: To explore the question "what psychological and relational processes are involved when therapeutic discordance among prescribers and receivers occurs?" a constructivist Grounded Theory study was carried out through semi-structured interviews with patients and their medical doctors.
Results: The final sample of our study was composed of 29 participants: 16 receivers and 13 prescribers. "Neglecting the relationship", the core category, shapes the therapeutic discordance and connects three main conceptual phases: signing a non-negotiating contract, acting alone, and establishing a superficial relationship.
Conclusion: Our grounded theory conceptualization contributes to the concordance-related debate by evidencing the processes among prescribers and receivers in interwoven actions. It offers another dimension to how notions of compliance, adherence and concordance have been theorized to date.
Practice implications: More than one interaction with receivers is recommended. If there are hints that conflict potentially is compromising the relationship, prescribers should involve intermediaries. Setting aside for a moment, evidence-based justification for treatments and trying to understand prescribers' motivations may boost a positive change.
Keywords: Adherence; Cancer; Compliance; Concordance; Futility; Grounded theory; Medication-taking; Prescriber and patient relationship; Qualitative research; Therapeutic discordance.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.