Factors influencing clinic attendance during the multidrug therapy of leprosy

Abstract

Factors influencing clinic attendance during multidrug therapy (MDT) of leprosy were studied in a population of paucibacillary patients at Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre (SLR & TC) Karigiri in Southern India. Information was gathered from patient records (293 patients) and by questionnaires (143 patients). Patients were grouped according to their long-term clinic attendance record. Factors associated with poor clinic attendance were detection by survey, poor attendance during dapsone monotherapy and longer periods of treatment with dapsone monotherapy prior to MDT, and absence from first or second clinics after registration for MDT. Factors associated with good clinic attendance were presence of deformity and voluntary presentation. Factors unrelated to clinic attendance were age, sex, clinic size, site or number of skin lesions and type of paucibacillary leprosy. The commonest reason given for clinic absences were work and family commitments. Various schemes for predicting poor clinic attendance behaviour were devised.