Patient understanding and compliance with post-operative instructions and follow-up at Yekatit 12 Hospital, Addis...

Patient understanding, compliance with post-operative instructions, and follow-up are useful for obtaining good patient outcomes. Lack of understanding and non-compliance are common problems that significantly impact patients' health. Understanding the level of compliance and identifying associated reasons are important for achieving successful patient outcomes.

This study evaluated patient understanding and compliance with post-operative instructions and follow-up after dental procedures at Yekatit 12 Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

An institutional cross-sectional study was conducted at the dental clinic of Yekatit 12 Hospital. Study participants were selected using a systematic sampling method. Over two months, trained data collectors administered a semi-structured questionnaire to 227 consenting patients attending the dental clinic. Patient records were reviewed to retrieve important information. Data collected included patient demographics, post-operative instructions, and frequency of attendance at follow-up appointments. The data were entered into the SPSS version 26 software package. A chi-square test was used to assess the relationships between the independent and dependent variables.

The overall patient compliance rate with post-operative instructions was 67.9% and the follow-up appointment attendance rate was 66%. This study revealed that patients who missed follow-up appointments cited forgetfulness as their primary reason. The compliance rate with post-operative instructions varied based on the mode of instructional delivery and patient literacy level.

This study revealed suboptimal patient compliance with post-operative instructions and follow-up appointment attendance at Yekatit 12 Hospital. The most common reasons for missing appointments included forgetfulness and economic issues. Patient education and good communication are required to improve patient compliance and follow-up. Additionally, follow-up reminder systems such as text messages should be implemented to increase patient attendance at follow-up appointments.