Challenging perceptions of non-compliance with rheumatic fever prophylaxis in a remote Aboriginal community.
OBJECTIVE
To identify factors that affect rheumatic fever prophylaxis for remote-living Aboriginal patients, and to determine the proportion who received adequate prophylaxis.


METHODS
Interview (with analysis based on principles of grounded theory) of patients with a history of rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease and their relatives, and health service providers in a remote Aboriginal community; audit of benzathine penicillin coverage of patients with rheumatic heart disease.


METHODS
15 patients with rheumatic heart disease or a history of rheumatic fever, 18 relatives and 18 health care workers.


RESULTS
Patients felt that the role of the clinic was not only to care for them physically, but that staff should also show nurturing holistic care to generate trust and treatment compliance. Differing expectations between patients and health care providers relating to the responsibility for care of patients absent from the community was a significant factor in patients missing injections. Neither a biomedical understanding of the disease nor a sense of taking responsibility for one's own health were clearly related to treatment uptake. Patients did not generally refuse injections, and 59% received adequate prophylaxis (> 75% of prescribed injections).


CONCLUSIONS
In this Aboriginal community, concepts of being cared for and nurtured, and belonging to a health service were important determinants of compliance.
Harrington
Zinta
Z
Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia. zintah@bigpond.com
Thomas
David P
DP
Currie
Bart J
BJ
Bulkanhawuy
Joy
J
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D015876:Northern Territory; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000208:ethnology; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000208:ethnology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010401:Penicillin G Benzathine