title: A medication diary-book for pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Indonesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Event-free survival of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia was low (20%). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a medication diary-book on the treatment outcome of childhood ALL.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized study was conducted with 109 pediatric patients with ALL in a pediatric oncology center in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Both intervention and control groups received a structured parental education program and donated chemotherapy. The intervention group received a medication diary-book to remind parents and families to take oral chemotherapy and present for scheduled appointments or admissions. Event-free survival estimate (EFS) at 3 years was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among pediatric patients with ALL with highly educated mothers (senior high school or higher), the EFS-estimate at 3 years of the intervention group was significantly higher than the EFS-estimate at 3 years of the control group (62% vs. 29%, P = 0.04). Among pediatric patients with ALL with low-educated mothers, no significant difference was found in the EFS-estimates at 3 years between the intervention and control group (26% vs. 18%, P = 0.86).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that a medication diary-book might be useful to improve the survival of pediatric patients with ALL in resource-limited settings, particularly in patients with highly educated mothers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dr Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Mei N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sitaresmi
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mostert
authors.forename: Chad M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gundy
authors.forename: Djauhar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Anjo J P
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Veerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D010290:Parents; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia; medication diary-book; treatment outcome