News Health News Word of the Week: Adherence By Team Verywell Health Published on May 11, 2021 Fact checked by Daniella Amato Fact checked by Daniella Amato on May 11, 2021 Daniella Amato is a biomedical scientist and fact checker with expertise in pharmaceuticals and clinical research. Learn about our editorial process Share Tweet Email Print Alex Dos Diaz / Verywell Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Adherence How to say it: Adherence (add-hear-ins) What it means: When it's used in a medical context, it means to follow directions—like taking a prescription or doing things that are part of your treatment plan. Where it comes from: The Latin word adhaerentia, which means "stick to." National Cancer Institute/Unsplash Where you might see or hear it: Your doctor might write in your medical record that you have been adhering to your treatment plan if you have been following directions and meeting goals. When you might want to use it: If you have not been taking your medications as prescribed or getting to your scheduled appointments, you might tell your doctor that you are finding it hard to adhere to your treatment plan. Why It's Important to Take Your Medication as Prescribed Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Medical Library Association (MLA). What Did My Doctor Say?.