The effect of initial motivation on pulmonary tuberculosis patients in terms of regularity of drug collection and pattern of default for three months was studied at Lady Willingdon Tuberculosis Demonstration & Training Centre (LWTDTC), by adopting three different schedules of motivation (i) motivation as per routine procedures of District Tuberculosis Programme (ii) issue of simple brief instructions only and (iii) motivation with reduced contents and with change in sequence of points. The patients without history of previous treatment were randomly allocated to these 3 groups. All the three groups were similar in respect of age and sex composition, sputum status, extent of disease, duration of symptoms, education level and the distance that the patient had to travel for collection of drugs. However, there were more housewives in Group II.

The findings of the investigations were: Of the 139 patients in Group I, 49.6%, of the 126 in Group II, 46.7% and of the 142 in Group III, 47.2%, had made all the three collections. On the whole different schedules of motivation did not significantly affect the behaviour of the patients in making all the three monthly collections. However, patients in Group II with simple instructions were more regular and made less number of defaults. There was also a suggestion that sputum negative patients required more than mere instructions. The best response in such cases was in Group III, wherein motivation was neither very elaborate nor very brief and in which sequence of points was so arranged that stress on important points was laid early enough to remain within the recalling memory of the patients.