Preliminary study: Exploring the influence of healthcare services and antibiotic discontinuation among pulmonary tuberculosis patients with self-administration in Western Thailand: A case-control study

Background: Outpatients generally use self-administration, which might result in defaulting from treatment. Objective: This study evaluated the association between patient treatment discontinuation and health service. Materials and methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted in a TB clinic at Makarak Hospital, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Participants who completed and discontinued treatment from 2017 to 2021 were surveyed using questionnaires. Results: A total of 198 patients with TB who discontinued (N=49) and completed treatment (N=149) were analyzed. Associated factors of discontinued treatment in those who were male were (OR=8.41, 95%CI: 1.55-45.61), not receiving support from a family member (OR=33.75, 95%CI: 3.22-353.76), and waiting time of more than 3 hours for health services (OR=9.39, 95%CI: 1.98-44.64). Conclusion: Prolong treatment delivery services that exceed more than 3 hours and living without family support were associated with drug discontinuation in patients with TB who were self-administration treatment. These factors should be considered to enhance TB treatment success and infection control.