LEPROSY
Leprosy Review
0305-7518
British Leprosy Relief Association
Colchester, UK
29-9305
0305-7518/10/064053+07
10.47276/lr.81.4.299
Original Papers
Health care utilisation in Indian leprosy patients in the era of elimination
L. Renita et al.
Health care in Indian leprosy patients
PulimoodSusanne A.
aEapenElizabeth Pushpa
aMuliyilJayaprakash
bJohnK. R.
ba
Department of Dermatology, Venereology, Leprosy, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
b
Department of Community Health, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
Correspondence to: Susanne A. Pulimood, Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Christian Medical College, Vellore - 632004, Tamil Nadu, India (Tel: +91 416 2282054; e-mail: sapulimood@cmcvellore.ac.in)
01122010
81
4
299
305
20082010
© Lepra
2010
Objectives:
The health care utilisation pattern among Indian leprosy patients accessing a tertiary care centre over an 18 month period was studied.
Design:
A study was conducted at the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, from January 2005 to June 2006. The profile of patients was assessed and a subgroup was interviewed on their healthcare use, including any delays and costs incurred.
Results:
198 patients presented of which 115 patients (58.1%) were on treatment for leprosy or a leprosy reaction (active) including 35 new patients (17.7%), and 83 (41.9%) patients were not on active treatment (inactive). 81 patients were interviewed in depth, 14 (17.3%) were new patients included among 54 (66.7%) patients with active disease, and 27 (33.3%) with inactive disease. The average delay from the onset of symptoms to starting treatment in those interviewed was 13.4 months, 7.9 months of which was a patient-related delay and 5.4 months of which was the health care system-related delay. In patients who had been released from treatment, 78.6% (22/28) required care after cure.
Conclusions:
Improved awareness is required to reduce patient-related delays and systems for sustained training need to be in place to tackle the problem of health care system-related delays. Care after cure is a felt need for many patients released from treatment.