Support needs of people living with Mycobacterium ulcerans (Buruli ulcer) disease in a Ghana rural community: a grounded theory study.

Abstract

Mycobacterium Ulcerans (also known as Buruli ulcer) disease is a rare tropical skin disease which causes contracture and severe scarring and thus affect the functional activities of people who suffer from it as well as their quality of life. An assessment of the effects of BU on patients’ quality of life helps health professionals to meet the needs of such patients. Therefore the aim of this paper is to assess the quality of life of people living with the consequences of Buruli ulcer (BU). Methods This was a combination of an ethnographic in-depth study based on the grounded theory method, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) tool and functional limitation scores to assess the quality of life of people living with the consequences of BU. Findings The overall finding was that BU affects the quality of life of the participants in all the domains of the DLQI and the areas most affected were symptoms and feelings, leisure and personal relationships Conclusion The quality of life of this vulnerable group was identified from detailed analysis of the qualitative data, functional limitation scores and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) tool. People living with the consequences of BU have low quality of life. Efforts should be made to include this in the overall assessment and treatment of these patients.