The experience of entering the treatment process in chronic hepatitis C patients with a history of alcohol drinking at Lomsak hospital, Phetchabun province

Abstract

This research aimed to study the experience of entering the treatment process of chronic hepatitis C patients with a history of alcohol drinking at Lomsak hospital, Phetchabun province. The Phenomenological qualitative research was designed. The samples were hepatitis C virus patients with a history of alcohol use and began to enter the treatment process. Seventeen patients had started the treatment process, divided into 10 subjects who had quit alcohol and entered the treatment process, and 7 subjects who were still drinking and were waiting for treatment after quitting alcohol. An in-depth interview was conducted through a series of semi-structured questions, observation during the interview, field notes, tape recording, and word-for-word transcription. The data was analyzed by data triangulation and content analysis to find out the themes.

The results revealed that most hepatitis C patients were diagnosed accidentally or discovered through examination screened without having any abnormal symptoms or few symptoms, and was not objectionable to society, consequently, they did not realize that this disease was impact on their life. On the other hand, alcohol drinking was a sign of socializing, relieving suffering, cure some diseases, and some patients believed that abruptly stopping alcohol drinking could be fatal. These leading obstacles to quitting alcohol to entering the process of medication treatment for the existing disease. In the cases of patients who have stopped drinking alcohol, it was found that the direct experience of seeing patients with severe symptoms previously that causing fear. Along with receiving good support from their own family, thus, they were able to stop alcohol drinking without any help from the treatment process. In conclusion, patients should be encouraged to have a better understanding of chronic hepatitis C and should be developed systems or processes to promote alcohol drinking patients able to give up alcohol drinking to enter the hepatitis C treatment process.