The treatment approach of patients and their families and impact on SMS reminder toward OPD follow up of psychotic patients.

Abstract

Background: The patient's follow-up is a significant challenge for managing the psychiatric illness, especially psychotic disorders. Although many factors affect patients' clinical non-attendance with psychosis, patients and their families' approach toward medication influences treatment follow-up. The study evaluates the patient's and family's approach regarding OPD follow-up and the effect of SMS reminder on OPD follow-up of patients with psychosis. Methodology: This study was conducted on a psychotic patient attending OPD at Karwan e Hayat, Karachi. A total of 248 patients were randomly divided into two groups, the SMS reminder group and the treatmentas-usual or control group. Computer-based SMS to improve patient follow-up was sent in Urdu and English to the SMS group. A total of four reminder messages were sent to the SMS group within 15 days of each clinical appointment over a period of 24-weeks, while no message was sent to the control group. Results: All patients (Intervention & Control groups) were divided further into two groups based on the caring family approach reflected through several follow-ups, including a poor follow-up group with less than five visits and an appropriate follow-up group having five or more than five visits. The impact of SMS follow-up reminders on both groups was observed through OPD follow-ups. At baseline, all groups were comparable, but after a 3-month appropriate group of intervention were found with a significant (p=0.053) increase in the number of follow-ups compared to patients with poor follow-up groups. Conclusion:It is concluded from the study results that SMS reminders are an effective intervention in those psychotic patients and families who have a positive approach to illness.

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