Exploration of Reasons for Patient Loss to Follow-Up Management-A Cross-Sectional Study of Patients with Rosacea.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a chronic skin condition requiring long-term management and regular follow-up for treatment optimization. However, significant patient loss to follow-up in clinical practice hinders the collection of essential clinical data. This study aims to investigate the reasons for patient attrition to inform improved retention strategies and patient management.

METHODS: We randomly selected 100 lost-to-follow-up patients with rosacea and 100 rosacea patients who adhered to regular follow-ups from our outpatient system and conducted a survey and interviews with them based on their basic information, disease and treatment status, exploration of reasons for loss to follow-up, and assessment of disease status and willingness to return for follow-up.

RESULTS: The results indicated that demographic factors, such as gender and education level, are not the primary reasons for patient loss to follow-up. The lost-to-follow-up group exhibited milder symptoms (p<0.001) and lower treatment willingness (p<0.001), while the regular follow-up group had a higher level of disease awareness. The main reasons for patient loss to follow-up were improvement in condition and dissatisfaction with treatment outcomes. Most patients expressed satisfaction with our follow-up services. Patients desire more personalized and flexible follow-up services and patient education.

CONCLUSION: Demographic factors are not the primary reasons for patient loss to follow-up, but milder symptoms and dissatisfaction with treatment outcomes are the main reasons for patients discontinuing follow-up. Effective patient education enhances patients' understanding of their condition, which encourages them to adhere to follow-up appointments.