Factors associated with non-adherence to tuberculosis Direct Observed Treatment Shortcourse Plus (DOTS Plus) Program in Persons with Multidrug-Resistant (MDR-TB) Tuberculosis at the Lung Center of the Philippines.

SETTING: Tuberculosis directly observed treatment, shortcourse (TB DOTS) clinic of the Lung Center of the Philippines, Quezon City. 

OBJECTIVES: To determine the factors associated with treatment non-adherence in TB DOTS Plus patients 18 years old and above with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

DESIGN: A case control study. 83 MDR-TB patients were selected using a purposive sampling method. Cases were patients non-adherent to their prescribed DOTS Plus regimen and controls were patients adherent to their prescribed DOTS Plus regimen. All study subjects were individually interviewed using a guided survey questionnaire from June to August 2014.

RESULTS: Knowledge on tuberculosis and number of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were found to be significantly associated with treatment non-adherence (OR=2.83 and OR=1.27 respectively, p<.007).

CONCLUSION: Knowledge on tuberculosis and number of ADRs experienced are significantly associated with treatment non-adherence. The pre-treatment briefing included in the LCP's TB DOTS program is effective in imparting knowledge to patients, preparing them for possible ADRs, and subsequently decreasing treatment non-adherence.