title: What we can say: disease illiteracy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the awareness, attitude and behavior of patients with chronic disease in those who come for follow-up, about nature of their disease, compliance to drugs and precautions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients attending medical outdoor with a prescription documents (discharge cards, pensioner diary, prescription letter etc.) bearing diagnosis of the chronic disease in question based on standard criteria were studied for a period of six month. Patient with chronic disease completed a questionnaire containing questions about nature of disease, important precautions and compliance to the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 63 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients 27 (42.8%) were not aware of having heart disease ever in the life. Twenty nine (44%) CAD patients noncompliant for medicines during last one month. Among 84 hypertensive patients only 58 (69%) knew they had hypertension and 54 (64.2%) compliant with medicine. Only 40 (47.6 %) out of 84 avoided salt in food. Though, out of 36 diabetic patients 34 (94.4%) percent knew they had diabetes, still 19 (52.7%) stopped medicine during last month. Among 29 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients only 6 (20.6%) knew they had COPD and another 17(58.6%) knew they had respiratory problem. Only 5 (17.2%) COPD patients remembered the no-smoking advice. Out of 23 CVA patients 17 (74%) knew that they have paralysis and 8 (34.7%) stopped medication during last month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that majority of patients were ignorant about their disease, importance of compliance to medicines and about precautions of the disease. CAD patients were most ignorant people among chronic patients. It emphasizes the need of proper patient education
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, SMS Medical College, Jaipur.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beniwal
authors.forename: Bharat Bhushan
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Virendra
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs