A STUDY ON PROVIDING PATIENT CENTERED TB TREATMENT

Background:

The purpose of the study is to listen to the views of TB patients, health workers and communities in order to guide the design of patient-centered approach to TB treatment. It will also provide a micro-level perspective of patients', communities' and health workers' experiences with TB, its treatment with a specific reference to health facility based directly observed treatment (DOT). The study will also elicit their views on how to improve the existing system and their perception of the patient centered approach.

Overall objective
To inform the design of a patient centered approach to DOT for the six month short course chemotherapy regimen.

Approaches
The study should elicit the views of patients, former patients, communities and health care providers, and reflect them, without bias, on the following themes. 1) Understanding experience with TB and its treatment 2) Exploring suggestions for improving the current system 3) Eliciting views on the patient cantered approach 4)Understanding the social impact of TB including its association with HIV AIDS 5)Understanding the information needs about TB and its treatment 6) Factors for successfully completing / discontinuing treatment (for former patients) 7) Key elements of a blue print to provide safety nets with a patient centred approach (for health care providers)