TY  - BOOK
AU  -  Ally, Zahran. Seif
AU  - Ambrose,  Emmanuela. E 
TI  - Research Report on Perceived Barriers to Clinic Attendance Among Children With Sickle Cell Disease Attending Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza Tanzania
PY  - 2018///
CY  - Mwanza, Tanzania: 
PB  -  Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS – Bugando],  Phone: +255 28 298 3384,     Fax: +255 28 298 3386,    Email: vc@bugando.ac.tz,    Website: www.bugando.ac.tz
KW  -  
N2  - Abstract:

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder affecting about 300,000 infants born each year in Worldwide, and 75% of all these populations are from Sub-Saharan Africa. SCD is a chronic disease that causes major medical complications if patients lack comprehensive care. Because it is a chronic disease, children with SCD need to attend clinic follow-up for medication refills and evaluation of the disease. Some patients struggle to attend clinic and are lost to follow-up. Therefore this study intends to assess the perceived barriers to clinic attendance in children with SCD at BMC.

Objective: To determine perceived barriers to clinic appointments in children with SCD

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of children with SCD who attended the outpatient clinic of Bugando medical centre. It included all parents/guardians of children (6 months to 18 years) with SCD who attend paediatric SCD clinic. Data was be collected using a detailed questionnaire. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS.

Results: Among the 200 sickle cell patients interviewed majority missed clinic due to various reasons at each sector from family to distance level. Due to various family reasons 56.1% of patients reported to miss clinic were from nucleated family and those who were taken care by their mothers. The parents with secondary and primary level of education missed clinic more by 41.5%. Patients attending clinic at other department, 87.8% of them missed sickle cell clinic also children who used over the counter/herbal medication reported missing clinic by 73.2%. Long distance from hospital contributed as major barrier where 29% patients living out of Mwanza missed clinic. Means of transport as a barrier those who used cars for transportation missed clinic by 95% of all children attending sickle cell clinic.

Conclusion: A lot of barriers from family lever to distance barriers were elicited to patients with this chronic disease not attending clinic are modifiable reasons where the society needs to be educated on importance of attending clinic by using the health care workers, develop sickle cell clinic with competent at each health care centre as to reduce distance barriers and plan up strategies to remind them on attending clinic should be emphasized such as importance of clinic attendance and follow up mobile phones programs has to be set to reming them

ER  -