title: An incentive in tuberculosis preventive therapy for an inner city population.
abstract: Measures known to improve adherence such as short course chemoprophylaxis and directly observed therapy can be enhanced to a significant extent/by the use of incentives. Adherence to tuberculosis therapy is influenced by several factors, including the health care system, complexity of therapeutic regimens and patient's characteristics. Individual factors that negatively influence patient's adherence are the most difficult to counter. Preventive tuberculosis therapy is doubly challenging because the benefit of treatment is not felt, while toxicity from the medication, when it occurs, is experienced immediately. Ingenious incentives therefore have to make it worth the patient's while. During a study on preventive regimens, a request for an incentive, Sustacal, was observed to help completion of preventive regimens. Components of individual TB programs may help in patient adherence; it is important for health care staff to identify these aspects and, if they are successful, utilize these as an incentive to complete treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Department of Medicine, Newark, USA.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Mangura
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Passannante
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Reichman
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents