Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32375743›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2020

Initial loss to follow up of tuberculosis patients in South Africa: perspectives of program managers.

Judith R M Mwansa-Kambafwile, Sara Jewett, Charles Chasela, Nazir Ismail, Colin Menezes

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Ultrasononography in Managing Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis: A Randomized, Controlled, Parallel, Superiority, Open-Label Trial.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Judith R M Mwansa-KambafwileDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. judy.mwansa@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8552-2366
Sara JewettFellow of the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), Johannesburg, South Africa.
Charles ChaselaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Nazir IsmailCentre for Tuberculosis, National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Colin MenezesDepartment of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
University of the Witwatersrand · ZANational Health Laboratory Service · ZA

Funding

Carnegie Corporation of New York B 8606.R02DELTAS Africa Initiative 107768/Z/15/ZSida 54100113
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTuberculosis (TB) remains a serious public health problem in South Africa. Initial loss to follow up (LTFU) rates among TB patients are high, varying between 14.9 and 22.5%. From the perspective of patients, documented reasons for this include poor communication between patient and staff after testing, not being aware that results are ready and other competing priorities such as preference to go to work as opposed to seeking healthcare. Ward-based Outreach Teams (WBOTs) routinely conduct home visits to ensure adherence to medication for various conditions including TB. We explored reasons for TB initial loss to follow up from the perspectives of TB program managers and WBOT program managers, with a focus on the WBOT's (potential) role in reducing initial LTFU, in particular.

methodsKey informant interviews with five WBOT program managers and four TB program managers were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded, then transcribed and exported to NVivo 11 software for coding. A hybrid analytic approach consisting of both inductive and deductive coding was used to identify themes.

resultsThe age of the nine managers ranged between 28 and 52 years old, of which two were male. They had been in their current position for between 2 to 12 years. Prior to treatment initiation, WBOTs screen household members for TB and refer them for TB testing if need be, but integration of the two programs is emphasized only after TB treatment has been initiated. Counseling of patients testing for TB is not guaranteed due to frequent staff rotations and staff shortages. Participants reported that possible dissatisfaction with services as well as stigma associated with the TB diagnosis could explain loss to follow up prior to treatment initiation.

conclusionProgram managers view health system related factors such as staff rotations, poor communication with patients and lack of counseling as contributing to the problem of initial LTFU among TB patients. The integration of the WBOT and TB programs is limited to referring suspected cases for testing and patients already on treatment.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelLost to Follow-UpAdultAllied Health PersonnelCounselingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProgram EvaluationSocial StigmaSouth AfricaTuberculosisInitial loss to follow upProgram managersSouth AfricaTB treatment

Identifiers

PMID32375743
PMCPMC7201771
OpenAlexW3022467587

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.