ABANDONMENT OF OUTPATIENT FOLLOW-UP IN REFERENCE SERVICE OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE STATE BY PEOPLE WITH HEPATITIS
Hepatitis C. Ambulatory care. Patients Withdrawn from Treatment. Discontinuation of clinical follow-up.
The study of the reasons that cause hepatitis C patients not to attend the medical appointments scheduled at the Liver Study Center of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital are of importance, due to the fact that this disease has an important epidemiological impact, if present in a silent, with high morbimortality rate. Objective: To know the reasons that led the patients of hepatitis C patients to abandon the outpatient follow-up in the NEF, from May 1995 to December 2017. Methods: A qualitative study based on the Convergent Care Research. The first step in the collection of data consists of analyzing NEF charts for the selection of patients with hepatitis C, who did not attend consultations for more than six months, from May 1995 to December 2017. The second stage of the Data collection refers to the accomplishment of a semi-structured interview to patients contacted, who accept to participate in the research, after being invited by telephone call. At the same time, the Focal Group will be held with the NEF medical team, addressing the problems related to the difficulty of following the hepatitis C patients. For the interpretation of the data collected, the Thematic Content Analysis method was chosen, following the steps proposed by Minayo ( 2013). Final considerations: the study intends to identify the patients who abandoned the outpatient follow-up, as well as the reasons that interfere in the attendance of the specialized services in viral hepatitis. The research will meet all ethical standards, fully respecting the determinations of Resolution 466/2012 of the National Health Council (CNS), as well as the fundamental precepts of Bioethics.