Methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTPs) are
important public health intervention to control the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) and the drug use problems. For expanding treatment coverage,
publicly funded programs may be necessary for heroin users with low socio-economic
status. We evaluated the difference of demographics, clinical features, and
quality of life (QoL) of heroin users enrolled in publicly funded and self-paid
MMTP and explored determinants influencing their attendance rate, respectively,
for these two groups.
A total of 234 heroin users enrolled in MMTP (129 in
publicly funded and 105 in self-paid) between 2006 and 2008 self-reported the
Taiwan version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument,
Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) at baseline. Data regarding demographic and
clinical features were collected during baseline interview. Methadone per
3-month attendance rates up to 18 months were conducted for each
participant beginning from the index date.
Self-paid group had a better QoL but lower treatment
adherence than did the publicly funded group. Male and living alone were
positive predictors on attendance rate for publicly funded group, and age of
first heroin use and hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositive were negative predictors.
However, predictors on attendance rate for self-paid group were different from
publicly funded group: HCV seropositive was a positive predictor and social QoL
was a negative predictor.
Findings of this study should be concerned with modifying
original funding eligibility. Additional measures to explore what could impede
treatment adherence are needed.
Full article
at:
1Department of General Psychiatry, Jianan
Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tainan, Taiwan
2Department of Public Health, College of
Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101,
Taiwan
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