A Cohort Study on the Follow-Up and Case-Holding of the Newly-Diagnosed Tuberculosis Patients

Purpose: Tuberculosis, an infectious disease of a long history, is re-emerging. Its control is highly associated with the patient’s compliance with therapy. The purpose of the study was to understand the follow-up and case-holding of the newly-diagnosed tuberculosis patients, and to suggest any improvement in the process. Method: Tuberculosis patients diagnosed in the year 2000 at a private medical center in Tainan County were studied. Their medical records were reviewed; and their treatment was followed-up. Result: The medical center had diagnosed 402 tuberculosis patients in the year 2000. Of them, 53 (13%) had either died or lost contact; and 349 (87%) had still been under effective follow-up and case-holding. 38% (157/402) of them were already confirmed tuberculosis patients at the time of reporting; of them, 138 (88%) were pulmonary tuberculosis, and 19 (12%), extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients. 48% (192/402) were probable tuberculosis cases at the time of reporting. The diagnosis rate of those patients currently under follow-up was 62% (216/349); it was 31% (59/192) for the probable cases. 64% (139) of the patients had been treated by the reporting hospitals; 27% (6) had been referred to the DOH bureaus of chronic disease control for treatment; and 3.2% (7) had never been treated. Conclusion: The follow-up and case-holding rate of the newly-diagnosed tuberculosis patients was about 87%. The compliance with medical orders of a low 3.2% was not desirable. The not-high-enough follow-up rate and the low compliance of some patients were some of the areas in the prevention and control of tuberculosis that required further improvement through incentives and coercion.

並列關鍵字

tuberculosis ； reporting ； case-holding ； compliance

國際替代計量

全文下載

主題瀏覽