Patient dropout high at tobacco clinic

 Tobacco Cessation Clinic at Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences counselled 112 patients in its first year.

 About 23 per cent of them quit tobacco after counselling.
The data was mentioned in a report submitted to the director of the institute analysing the performance of the clinic which completed its first year on July 1. The clinic opens on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and is operated from the Dental Museum of the hospital.

The report mentioned that in 63 per cent of the patients reduction in tobacco consumption was observed. However, only 41 per cent patients came back to the clinic after initial counselling.

“Often patients do not continue with the entire period of counselling as this does not give any immediate relief. Patient dropout is high. To solve this, now we have started providing basic dental treatment as well,” said Dr Vikrant Mohanty, assistant professor and head, TCC. He said this will act as an incentive for the patients to not leave counselling midway. The counselling usually lasts eight to 10 weeks.

Patients are assessed not only on the parameter of their condition, but also motivation. “Tobacco leads to all kinds of oral problems, trivial as well as serious. Patients coming to all the departments visit us,” said Dr Mohanty.

TCC is an initiative of the department of public health dentistry of MAIDS. The department conducts other community programmes within as well as outside the institute. It conducted 30 health education programmes in the hospital while four to five trips were conducted outside the hospital. “We do basic treatment outside, in our van. Treatment in open is not promoted as infection there cannot be controlled,” said Dr Mohanty.
Within the hospital the team conducts street plays and audio-visual programmes in the waiting areas of outpatient departments.