Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and reasons for patients leaving against medical advice (LAMA) in a paediatric setting in Oman. This retrospective study was carried out between January 2007 and December 2009 and assessed patients who left the paediatric wards at the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman, against medical advice. Of 11,482 regular discharges, there were 183 cases of LAMA (prevalence: 1.6%). Dissatisfaction with treatment and a desire to seek a second opinion were collectively the most cited reasons for LAMA according to data from the hospital’s electronic system (27.9%) and telephone conversations with patients’ parents (55.0%). No reasons for LAMA were documented in the hospital’s electronic system for 109 patients (59.6%). The low observed prevalence of LAMA suggests good medical practice at the Royal Hospital. This study indicates the need for thorough documentation of all LAMA cases to ensure the availability of high-quality data for healthcare workers involved in preventing LAMA.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(1), 74-77
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Al-Ghafri, M., Al-Bulushi, A., & Ahmed (2025). Prevalence of and Reasons for Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice from Paediatric Wards in Oman. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(1), 74-77. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013
MLA 9
Al-Ghafri, Mohamed, et al. "Prevalence of and Reasons for Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice from Paediatric Wards in Oman." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, 2025, pp. 74-77. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013.
Chicago (author–date)
Al-Ghafri, Mohamed, Abdullah Al-Bulushi, and Ahmed. 2025. "Prevalence of and Reasons for Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice from Paediatric Wards in Oman." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 16 (1): 74-77. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013.
Harvard
Al-Ghafri, M., Al-Bulushi, A. and Ahmed (2025) 'Prevalence of and Reasons for Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice from Paediatric Wards in Oman', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(1), pp. 74-77. doi:10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013.
Vancouver
Al-Ghafri M, Al-Bulushi A, Ahmed. Prevalence of and Reasons for Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice from Paediatric Wards in Oman. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2025;16(1):74-77. doi:10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013
IEEE
M. Al-Ghafri, A. Al-Bulushi, and Ahmed, "Prevalence of and Reasons for Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice from Paediatric Wards in Oman," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 74-77, 2025, doi: 10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.013.