title: Directly observed therapy. Who is responsible?
abstract: Care of the tuberculosis patients is ultimately the responsibility of the community's public health officer-an agent of the executive branch of government with the legal obligation to protect each citizen from life-threatening communicable diseases. Any physician electing to care for a tuberculosis patient becomes accountable for either directly administering each dose of medication to the patient, or assuring that treatment is provided through a competent and responsive health department.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sbarbaro
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003153:Community Health Services; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016730:Program Development; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States