title: [Tuberculosis patient disease knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions: the impact of individualized counseling].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Taiwan government currently promotes a case management approach to tuberculosis (TB) treatment to address the growing number of TB and multiple drug-resistant TB cases in Taiwan. The approach aims to improve medical follow-up and monitor quality of care. The efficacy of this case management approach has yet to be evaluated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of individualized case manager counseling on TB patient disease knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study employed a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Participants first answered an initial questionnaire survey including three structured scales that addressed, respectively, the facets of disease knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention. TB case managers then delivered two- stage counseling to participants based on assessed individual needs and outstanding issues identified in questionnaire answers. A second questionnaire survey was administered 30~42 days after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data on a total of 96 TB patients were collected. Key study findings were (1) individualized counseling significantly improved TB patient disease knowledge (p < .001) and (2) TB patient attitudes correlated significantly and positively with behavior intention (p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individualized counseling provided during the early stages of TB helps elevate patient awareness of the importance of treatment, enhances compliance and increases the cure rate.
authors: Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Republic of China.
authors: Shiau-Jiun
authors: SJ
authors: Wu
authors: Po-Liang
authors: PL
authors: Lu
authors: Yen-Hsu
authors: YH
authors: Chen
authors: Hui-Juan
authors: HJ
authors: Pan
authors: Ming-Chu
authors: MC
authors: Feng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000523:psychology*