Tuberculosis cases in Wisconsin: documentation of treatment improvement and completion of treatment, 2000-2002.
OBJECTIVE
In 2000, the Wisconsin Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (TB) sets goals of 90 percent treatment completion and 95 percent documentation of treatment improvement for all reported cases of TB. This study measures the success in achieving these goals.


METHODS
Data were abstracted from charts of all 249 reported TB cases during 2000-2002. Treatment completion was considered for patients indicated for completion in 12 months or less. Documentation of treatment improvement included therapy adherence, sputum culture conversion, and chest radiograph improvement for pulmonary cases, and therapy adherence and clinical improvement for extrapulmonary cases.


RESULTS
Treatment completion was measured in 204 of 249 TB cases; 87.1 percent completed treatment in 12 months or less. There was a significant difference in completion by site of disease, 89.9 percent for pulmonary cases and 66.1 percent for extrapulmonary cases (P < .01). Documentation of treatment improvement was 61.2 percent among pulmonary cases and 83.6 percent among extrapulmonary cases (P < .01). During the study period, there was a significant decrease in documentation rates for patients with pulmonary TB (P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
The goal of 90 percent treatment completion was nearly accomplished but the goal of 95 percent documentation of treatment improvement was not achieved. Barriers to TB treatment in Wisconsin need to be identified. Case management of TB is necessary for control and prevention of TB.
Monteon
Monica L
ML
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53726, USA. carcari@wisc.edu
Arcari
Christine M
CM
Remington
Patrick L
PL
Kanarek
Marty S
MS
Oemig
Tanya V
TV
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019090:Case Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011786:Quality Control; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014922:Wisconsin