PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH METHADONE MAINTENANCE THERAPY IN PRISON

Background and Aim : Patient Satisfaction can be conceived as a pyramid where at the tip of the pyramid we find satisfaction with medication received . According to the World Health Organization, Methadone Maintenance Treatment(MMT) outcomes could be improved through the assessment of patient satisfaction with this treatment. we validated a questionnaire for the assessment of medication satisfaction, and evaluated prisoners’ satisfaction with their Methadone Maintenance Therapy.Methods : To assess satisfaction with methadone among patients who undergo MMT we used Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication(TSQM), which its proper performance in assessment of medication in chronic diseases has been proved already. TSQM is comprised of 14 questions that provide scores on four scales:effectiveness, side effects, convenience and global satisfaction. In a nonintervention study, Out of 150 patients with opiod-use disorder in Zarvan prison in West Azarbaijan, 66 agreed to participate in the study.The sample size was determined based on patients’ voluntary contribution in the study.all of them were male and received at least one dose of methadone.Other background information, such as duration of opiod-use disorder, duration of MMT,age and education were collected. TSQM was translated into Persian and its validity has been assessed by three clinical pharmacy specialists. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha. The internal consistency reliability of the TSQM scores was acceptable, α > 0.70.all four domain scores were calculated as recommended by the instrument’s authors.Results : According to statistical analysis, there was low satisfaction scores among patients on methadone. The average score was 62%, 66%, 57%, 29% in effectiveness, side effects, convenience and global satisfaction domains respectively.Conclusion : This study provides evidence in favor of low satisfaction scores with methadone despite widespread methadone maintenance therapy. This new understanding should help to improve methadone maintenance therapy programs and also showed a deeper insight of patient satisfaction role in healthcare programs outcome.

Keywords:

Methadone , Personal Satifaction , prisons , Maintenance