Concordance and the Counselor’s Role in Supporting Medical Compliance

Concordance is the term now utilized to label the relationship between patient and medical professional whereby both work together to develop a medical regimen that best fits the patient’s condition, resources, and needs. The counselor can play a significant role in ensuring concordance by building a strong working relationship with the medical professional, providing supportive education to the client and caregiver regarding the client’s medical condition and the medical regimen as prescribed by the medical professional, supporting the client in adhering to the medical regimen, and encouraging the client to report side effects and symptoms to the medical professional in a timely fashion.