Reasons for non-compliance Among Patients Treated under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and Their Treatment Outcome after Structured counsel-ling

To judge for reasons of interrupting the treatment as told by patient himself/herself and see for adherence to therapy and treatment outcome after counselling. Methods All patients with history of interrupting the treatment presenting to chest OPD were included in this study. Counselling was done by medical officer on first interaction and by health care worker (as guidance of medical officer) subsequently. Reasons for interrupting the treatment were noted. Patients and their relatives were counselled about the urgent need for strict adherence to therapy with special focus on reasons for which that particular patient had defaulted. Results: Total 56 patients were included in the study during First Quarter of year 2007. Treatment outcomes of 40 patients were available. 6 out of them had interrupted the treatment(15%) (National figures: 19% and Maharashtra: 21%), 13 patients died during the treatment (5 of them were Cat 2 defaulters). Multiple reasons for interrupting the treatment were present. Most common reasons were alcoholism and feeling of relief with treatment (46.4%). Conclusion: There is an urgent need for stressing upon counselling during Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) sensitization and training. Medical officers can play an important role reducing the defaulter rate by counselling of patient and their relatives.