A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE IN URINARY-TRACT INFECTION PATIENTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

A randomized trial was used to evaluate two forms of a health belief model (HBM) intervention aimed at increasing compliance among 139 patients with urinary tract infections who presented to the emergency department. Patients who received an HBM clinical intervention administered in the ED, HBM telephone intervention two to four days after the ED visit, or both interventions were much more likely than control patients to both schedule and keep a follow-up referral appointment. Both the clinical and telephone interventions were designed to increase perceived susceptibility to complications of the urinary tract infection, seriousness of the complications, and benefits and costs of action. Other factors predicting compliance include age of the patient, urgency of the urinary tract infection as rated subjectively by the emergency physician, need for child care, whether transportation was available, and questioning the nurse about the referral appointment. © 1990 American College of Emergency Physicians.