A study of knowledge, attitude and behavior of patients towards their illness and their relation to sociodemographic factors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3933.ijam20242312Keywords:
Medication Adherence, Patient compliance, EducationAbstract
Background: This study was conducted to assess basic knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients to their illness and find its correlation with various socio-demographic factors.
Method: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based analytical study. All patients over 18 years of age who attended the OPD or were admitted to the medical ward and who agreed to participate in the study were included. A questionnaire regarding the demographic characteristics of the study participants as well as the patient’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding their disease was administered regularly by experienced physicians dealing with OPD and IPD both type of patients.
Results: Out of total 100, only 38% patients came for regular follow up and only 57% brought old records. 36% were not taking medications regularly for various reasons (trying alternative medicine (22.2%), advice from others (11.1%), found medicines ineffective and stopped without reconsulting (8.3%), fear of adverse effects (8.3%), couldn’t afford (8.3%), worsening of symptoms (5.6%) etc. 19.4% had no reasons. 67% patients got medicines prescribed from a qualified clinician while other sources were pharmacist (9%), relatives/friends (5%) and self-medication (6%). Significantly more females, educated and employed were aware about their medical condition and medications. Significantly more educated and employed brought old records and came for regular follow up (p-0.0187), Significantly more educated seeked qualified doctor’s advice as compared to uneducated. (p=0.0002).
Conclusion: There is a need to educate patients about the importance of medication awareness, adherence, regular follow up, disadvantages of unscientific and unreliable information to improve compliance to treatment.
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