Patient–Doctor Relationship in Dermatology: From Compliance to Concordance

Abstract

The concept of what the doctor–patient relationship should be has changed increasingly in recent years. Previously, an asymmetric relationship was assumed. Compliance and adherence are terms used currently. The concordance model goes further and examines the effectiveness of the mutual process between the doctor and the patient. In this model the interaction is two-sided and involves finding a decision as partners. The origins of this approach are to be found in psychoanalytic theory.