title: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF MEASURING TUBERCULOSIS THERAPY COMPLIANCE: GREECE AS A HOST COUNTRY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS BEFORE AND DURING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For the realization of "2015 UN Millennium Development Goals", a question arises pertaining to the course of tuberculosis in Greece and its relationship to patient adherence to treatment, given the fact that the country is undergoing a financial crisis and is a gateway for economic migrants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study concerned 1179 patients of the anti-TBdepartment, "Sotiria" General Chest Diseases Hospital, Athens, Greece collaborating with the National Reference Centre of Mycobacteria, covering a year before the financial crisis, 2007 and 2010-11, the first years of the crisis. A special recording form was used, on the basis of a specific protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 954 patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis disease, 657 of which were foreigners. Out of 791 patients residing in the same area, 632 were foreigners. Of the patients who proceeded to a first self-discontinuation of the medication, only 38.3% (n=18) completed the treatment, while 40.4% of them self-discontinued within the first month. Duration of treatment was 6.68±3.54 months for those (n=805) with no discontinuation and 7.48±3.68 months for those (n=149) with at least one discontinuation, regardless of the etiology p= 0,032. Cases increased during financial crisis, with gradual decrease in mean treatment duration for patients with first line treatment to 7.77±3.81 months in 2007, and 6.53±3.47 and 6.40±3.31 months in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the beginning of treatment measurable signs of either adherent/non-adherent behavior appeared, affecting mean treatment duration and completion. Duration of treatment decreased in the years of financial crisis. Migrants ghettoization calls for implementation of DOTS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Health, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gourgoulianis
authors.affiliation: Anti-TB Department, "Sotiria" General Chest Diseases Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konstantinou
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Section, Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Greece.
authors.forename: Efthimia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petinaki
authors.affiliation: School of Sciences and Engineering, Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Roupa
keywords: DOT; Tuberculosis; adherence; financial crisis; ghettoization; migrants; treatment completion