Facility-based directly observed therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis during COVID-19: A community perspective.
J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis
; 24: 100248, 2021 Aug.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1284190
ABSTRACT
Facility-based directly observed therapy (DOT) has been the standard for treating people with TB since the early 1990s. As the commitment to promote a people-centred model of care for TB grows, the use of facility-based DOT has been questioned as issues of freedom, privacy, and human rights have been raised. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown measures have fast-tracked the need to find alternative methods to provide treatment to people with TB. In this study, we present quantitative and qualitative findings from a global community-based survey on the challenges of administering facility-based DOT during a pandemic as well as potential alternatives. Our results found that decreased access to transportation, the fear of COVID-19, stigmatization due to overlapping symptoms, and punitive measures against quarantine violations have made it difficult for persons with TB to receive treatment at facilities, particularly in low-resource settings. Potential replacements included greater focus on community-based DOT, home delivery of treatment, multi-month dispensing, and video DOT strategies. Our study highlights the need for TB programs to re-evaluate their approach to providing treatment to people with TB, and that these changes must be made in consultation with people affected by TB and TB survivors to provide a true people-centred model of care.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Language:
English
Journal:
J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.jctube.2021.100248
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