Patterns of Follow-up Patients with Drug-addicted after the Integrated Treatment, Muang District, MahaSarakham Province

Abstract

Objective : This study focused on the patterns of follow-up patients with drug-addicted after the appropriate treatment in the area of Muang District, MahaSarakham.                               

Method : This action research was conducted through Kemmis and Mctaggart’s concept (1988) comprising 4 steps: 1) Plans of action, 2) Action, 3) Observation, and 4) Reflection.  The purposive sample group was totally 140 staff.  Duration had started from October 2014 to September 2016.  The research tools were forms of supportive follow-up (Command Letter of KorSorSho No. 108/ 2014), forms of meeting guideline and group discussion, and forms of depth interview guideline.  The data analysis consists of descriptive statistics, content analysis, and percentages. 

Result : In 2014, the follow-up process had still been unsystematic.  Each sector followed up its own workload.  52.19 percent of the patients was followed up and 34 percent of them were supported.  In 2015, there were working processes of meeting among the community leaders from each sub-district of the area, depth interview of the patients, and forms of cooperation and acceptance of follow-up after the treatment in order to find appropriate supportive resources.  92 percent of the patient was followed up and 51.51 of them was supported.  In 2016, 3 patterns of the follow-up to support the patients with drug-addicted were started.  All types of the data were collected at the Sub-district Primary Care Hospital as the database of the area.  The findings revealed that all patients were followed up and supported along with the patterns of follow-up.  This resulted in approving the working criteria of the quality assurance indicator from the Ministry of Public Health.

Conclusion : The process of each round of the follow-up must establish the comprehension and reliability from the patients and their relatives.  So, they are willing to constantly cooperate as well as the efficiency of the follow-up process.  Moreover, this protects the re-addicted habit of the patients, including an opportunity to be supported from various resources, appropriately.

Keyword : Follow-up,  Patients with Drug-addicted