Factors influencing completion of treatment among pulmonary tuberculosis patients

Objective: This study aimed to understand the influencing factors of treatment completion among pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Anhui province, eastern People's Republic of China, in order to provide scientific evidence for improving the follow-up rate and treatment completion rate. Methods: A total of 262 PTB patients in six counties (districts) of Anhui province were investigated by questionnaire, and data about treatment interruption were collected. Results: The main causes of treatment interruption were forgetting to take medicine (24.5%), drug side effects (23.3%), and symptomatic improvement (19.5%). The education background, patient type, cause of interruption, and tracking method were factors influencing completion of treatment (all P<0.05). The education level was positively associated with the treatment completion rate. New smear-positive patients had a significantly higher completion rate than others. The patients interrupted by drug side effects had the highest risk of interruption. In terms of the tracking method, the completion rate of patients tracked by the rural medical staff was significantly lower. Conclusions: The management of PTB patients by medication supervision should be strengthened, especially for those with low education level and who had drug side effects, in order to improve their treatment completion rate.