Care plan adherence rate is the percentage of patients who follow their prescribed treatment protocols, including medication compliance, follow-up visits, and lifestyle modifications.

Adherence is where telehealth demonstrates its clinical value proposition. The ability to check in with patients between visits, monitor progress remotely, and intervene at early signs of non-adherence creates opportunities for care management that in-person practices can't match without prohibitive costs.

Measure adherence across multiple dimensions: medication adherence (prescription fills and refills), visit adherence (follow-up appointments kept), and protocol adherence (labs completed, lifestyle changes documented). Each reveals different intervention opportunities.

High adherence rates correlate with better outcomes, lower downstream costs, and stronger payer relationships. Value-based contracts increasingly reward adherence improvements, making this metric financially material beyond its clinical importance. Telehealth organizations that can demonstrate superior adherence rates have a compelling story for payer contracting negotiations.

Related terms: Prescription fulfillment rate, Virtual visit completion rate, Patient satisfaction score