Scientific Publication

Alarming rates of attrition among tuberculosis patients in public-private facilities in Lahore, Pakistan

author(s) Khan, B.J.. - Kumar, A.M.V.. - Stewart, A. - Khan, N.M.. - Selvaraj, K. - Fatima, R. - Samad, Z.
from UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
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themes
regions
  • Northern Europe
  • Europe
  • World
  • Southern Asia
  • Asia
citation

Khan BJ, Kumar AMV., Stewart A, Khan NM, Selvaraj K, Fatima R, Samad Z. Alarming rates of attrition among tuberculosis patients in public-private facilities in Lahore, Pakistan. Public Health Action. 2017;7(2):127–33

Publications and datasets provided via GARDIAN

Abstract

Setting All public-private mix (PPM) facilities caring for tuberculosis (TB) patients in Lahore city, Pakistan, under four models: PPM1 (general practitioners), PPM2 (non-governmental organisations), PPM3 (private hospitals) and PPM4 (others). Objective To assess the pre-treatment loss to follow-up (LTFU), defined as patients documented in the laboratory registers but not in the treatment registers of any PPM facility, among sputum smear-positive TB patients diagnosed during January–March 2015, and unfavourable treatment outcomes among patients registered for treatment and associated factors. Design This was a retrospective cohort study reviewing existing programme records. Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with outcomes. Conclusion Pre-treatment LTFU was alarmingly high and requires urgent attention, including the development and institution of mechanisms for patient tracking using information and mobile phone technology, and making TB notification mandatory in the private sector. This research was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Operational Research Capacity Building Programme led by the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)

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