Health behaviour change and medication adherence represent the ultimate translational bridge between medical diagnostics and actual clinical recovery. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 50% of patients with chronic illnesses fail to take their medications as prescribed, resulting in avoidable morbidity, emergency hospitalizations, and billions in preventable healthcare expenditures. Pioneered by Susan Michie in the COM-B Model of Behaviour Change (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation → Behaviour) and the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW), non-adherence is rarely deliberate defiance; it is categorized into Unintentional Non-Adherence (forgetfulness, complex polypharmacy regimens, cognitive barriers) and Intentional Non-Adherence (beliefs about medication necessity vs. fears of toxicity/dependence). The Health Behaviour and Medication Adherence Psychoeducation Module provides 21 structured video lessons on Michie’s COM-B architecture, motivational interviewing, and habit anchoring.
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Susan Michie’s COM-B Behaviour Change System
- Capability (Psychological & Physical): Having the cognitive working memory, literacy, and motor skills to understand prescriptions and organize pill regimens.
- Opportunity (Physical & Social): Financial access to medications, transportation to pharmacies, and supportive family/social environments.
- Motivation (Reflective & Automatic):
- Reflective: The Horne Necessity-Concerns Framework (weighing personal belief in the medicine’s necessity against fear of adverse long-term side effects).
- Automatic: Instincts, emotional avoidance, and conditioned daily habit loops.
Implementation Science: Habit Stacking
Interventions transform abstract medical intentions into concrete behavioral automation using Habit Stacking (Implementation Intentions by Peter Gollwitzer): anchoring medication ingestion to an established, automatic daily behavior (e.g., “Immediately after placing my coffee cup in the sink, I will take my morning blood pressure tablet”).
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