Health Behavior Change and Treatment Adherence: Evidence-based Guidelines for Improving Healthcare, 2nd Edition, by M. Robin DiMatteo, Leslie R. Martin, and Kelly B. Haskard-Zolnierek

February 2026 | Vol. 70, No. 1
By Samuel Garloff, DO, PCOM '78

This second edition publication lives up to its title: It is evidence-based. Although deceptively easy to read, it is for the serious and interested practitioner wanting to know how to best interact with patients to optimize treatment adherence and outcomes. Students of the Health Belief Model (HBM), dating back to the 1950s, will be quite pleased with this book.

Written by three university professors, the book is well-suited for self-study, discussion groups (such as a resident class), and classroom learning. Each of its nine chapters ends with “Tools for Self-study and Instruction,” learning objectives, review questions, prompts for discussion and further studying, and suggested reading. Additionally, each chapter ends with a comprehensive listing of references—a bibliophile’s dream.

A few features stand out, such as the well-placed usage of case studies and up-to-date discussions of social media influence, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of AI, tele-medicine, governmental pronouncements, and vaccine hesitation, all in service of suggestions for practical, useful, and individualized interactions with patients.

It is a welcome addition to my personal library.

Available for purchase at OUP (Oxford University Press), Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, and also available as an e-publication for purchase or rental at multiple outlets.