[Profile of the patient who drops out of neuropediatric follow-up].
BACKGROUND
Patients who drop out of programmed follow-up cause adverse effects to both themselves and the running of the medical.


OBJECTIVE
To obtain information which would permit us to modify guidelines for medical care in cases with particular diagnoses, so as to avoid interrupting follow-up.


METHODS
We selected all the patients who attended during 1995, and on 31 December 1995 had not been discharged or died. We considered a patient to have dropped out of follow-up when there was failure to attend the centre during two consecutive years without a justifiable reason. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the profile of the patients who dropped out of follow-up.


RESULTS
Of the patients attended during one year and whose treatment should have been continued, 16% dropped out; 70% of those who dropped out of their follow-up treatment were somewhat older than the rest and came in particular from two of the five health districts of the province. They had tics, tension headaches and migraine. Only three independent factors are associated with dropping out: absence of complementary tests, which is favorable, and epilepsy or previous long-term follow-up which is unfavorable.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduction in the programmed follow-up of patients with conditions which do not require complementary tests may reduce the drop out rate and improve the functioning of the Neuropaediatric Clinic.
Garaizar
C
C
Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital de Cruces, Baracaldo, Vizcaya, España. cgaraizar@hcru.osakidetza.net
Fernández-Bedoya
A
A
Luis
M
M
Larrauri
B
B
Prats
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009462:Neurology; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010372:Pediatrics
Perfil del paciente que abandona el seguimiento neuropediátrico.