ArticlePloS one2021
Exploring the promise and reality of ward-based primary healthcare outreach teams conducting TB household contact tracing in three districts of South Africa.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Using mHealth Technologies for Case Finding in Tuberculosis and Other Infectious Diseases in Africa: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Pooled it
- Community views on active case finding for tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative evidence synthesis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Multidimensional Poverty and Implementation Reach of Household Contact Tracing for Tuberculosis in South Africa: Analysis of a Randomized Trial.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Trial
- Bridging the Gap Between Treatment and Accountability: DR-TB Outcomes and Governance Signals in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa (2020-2024).Infectious disease reports · 2026Article
- Multilevel Determinants of Tuberculosis Treatment Interruption in Rural South Africa: Insights from Primary Healthcare Nurses.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Evaluating the acceptability, feasibility, and implementation fidelity of a multipurpose mobile health (mHealth) app used for Tuberculosis (TB) contact tracing by Ward-Based Outreach Teams (WBOTs) in South Africa.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Contributions of a community health worker program in improving district health system performance in South Africa, using routine health service variables in a quasi-experimental study design.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Support provided by outreach team leaders to caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans in the North-West province of South Africa.BMC nursing · 2024Article
- Empowering Communities: A Review of Community-Based Outreach Programs in Controlling Hypertension in India.Cureus · 2023Review
- Roles and challenges of nurses in tuberculosis care in Africa: A narrative review.Journal of clinical tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases · 2023Review
- A qualitative exploration into the presence of TB stigmatization across three districts in South Africa.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Human resource time commitments and associated costs of Community Caregiver outreach team operations in South Africa.PloS one · 2023Article
- Early interactions with newly diagnosed TB patients in hospital can support linkage to care.Public health action · 2022Article
- Understanding older peoples' chronic disease self-management practices and challenges in the context of grandchildren caregiving: A qualitative study in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTuberculosis (TB) household contact tracing is a form of targeted active case-finding for which community health workers ('outreach teams') in South Africa are primarily responsible for its implementation. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study to understand the role of outreach teams in delivering TB household contact tracing.
methodsThe study took place in three districts of South Africa between May 2016 and February 2017. We conducted 78 in-depth interviews (IDI) (comprising 35 key stakeholders, 31 TB index patients and 12 HHCs) and five focus group discussions (FGD) (40 outreach team members in four FGDs and 12 community stakeholders in one FGD).
resultsOutreach teams contributed positively by working across health-related programmes, providing home-based care and assisting with tracing of persons lost to TB care. However, outreach teams had a limited focus on TB household contact tracing activities, likely due to the broad scope of their work and insufficient programmatic support. Outreach teams often confused TB household contact tracing activities with finding persons lost to TB care. The community also had some reservations on the role of outreach teams conducting TB household contact tracing activities.
conclusionsCreating awareness among outreach workers and clinic personnel about the importance of and activities related to TB household contact tracing would be required to strengthen the delivery of TB household contact tracing through the community-based primary health care teams. We need better monitoring and evaluation systems, stronger integration within a realistic scope of work, adequate training on TB household contact tracing and TB infection prevention control measures. Involving the community and educating them on the role of outreach teams could improve acceptance of future activities. These timely results and lessons learned should inform contact tracing approaches in the context of COVID-19.
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