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.