Expert consensus on the management of migrant patients with leprosy

Abstract

Leprosy, an important public health issue, can impose serious health and economic burden on migrant population. However, there is no unified management plan for migrant patients with leprosy in Guangdong province. Through exploration and practice, we developed this consensus on the management of migrant patients with leprosy. The management plan includes the case detection and management, institutional responsibility and quality control. According to the different types of the medical institutions at the time of case diagnosed, leprosy prevention institutions where patient lives, other medical institutions where patient lives, and non-local medical institutions, the medical institutions should carry out the following measures according to the corresponding responsibility: collection of patients′ information, report of the case, referral when needed, entry into the specialized disease system, treatment, follow-up, rehabilitation services, and moving in or out. The establishment of this management plan will help standardize the case management of migrant patients with leprosy, reduce the disease burden, protect the health of the people, and also provide guidance and reference for the leprosy prevention and control in other provinces or regions.

Keywords

• leprosy
• migrant patients
• case management