Patterns and determinants of treatment completion and default among newly diagnosed multibacillary leprosy patients: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

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Factors affecting treatment adherence among leprosy patients: Perceptions of healthcare providers

“…This qualitative study reports the results of three focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted between February and June 2015 with healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, nursing assistants) with at least one year of experience in the day-to-day diagnosis and management of multibacillary leprosy patients in three large leprosy case-holding urban hospitals in Metro Manila, Philippines. This study is a part of a larger project which aimed to study the factors affecting treatment adherence of multibacillary leprosy patients, of which manuscripts have been published [ 14 , 28 ].…”

“…In leprosy, poor treatment adherence is reported to be associated with relapse and antimicrobial resistance [ [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] ] and may also explain the continued plateauing in incidence and prevalence of leprosy in many endemic countries in Asia, Africa, and South America [ [8] , [9] , [10] ]. The Philippines, for example, continues to record the highest number of leprosy cases in the Western Pacific Region [ 11 , 12 ], and this could be partly explained by the poor treatment adherence of patients in the country [ 5 , 13 , 14 ]. Forty percent of new multibacillary leprosy cases in the country do not complete the prescribed World Health Organization Multiple Drug Therapy for the disease [ 15 ], providing a steady pool of infected people who can continue to spread the disease [ 14 ].…”

“…The Philippines, for example, continues to record the highest number of leprosy cases in the Western Pacific Region [ 11 , 12 ], and this could be partly explained by the poor treatment adherence of patients in the country [ 5 , 13 , 14 ]. Forty percent of new multibacillary leprosy cases in the country do not complete the prescribed World Health Organization Multiple Drug Therapy for the disease [ 15 ], providing a steady pool of infected people who can continue to spread the disease [ 14 ].…”

“…Many qualitative and quantitative studies on treatment adherence had previously been conducted on tuberculosis [ 16 , 17 ], HIV [ 18 ], hypertension [ [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] ], and even leprosy [ 5 , 14 , [23] , [24] , [25] ]. A systematic review of systematic reviews on treatment adherence has found that social determinants of health play an important role in promoting treatment adherence across different diseases [ 26 ].…”

Systematic Review of Survival Analysis in Leprosy Studies—Including the Following Outcomes: Relapse, Impairment of Nerve Function, Reactions and Physical Disability

“…Survival analysis begins by counting the mean followup from the initial observation until the outcome of interest [9,10]. The epidemiological studies that can be used are experimental (clinical trials) and observational cohorts [11,12].…”