148 |
AU |
: |
Dick J, Schoeman JH, Mohammed A & Lombard C |
TI |
: |
Tuberculosis in the community: 1.Evaluation of a volunteer
health worker programme to enhance adherence to anti-tuberculosis
treatment |
SO |
: |
TUBERCLE & LUNG DIS 1996, 77, 274-79 |
DT |
: |
Per |
AB |
: |
A voluntary health worker project (Operation Elsies
River) was started in a high incidence TB area in the Western Cape
of South Africa, in order to assist the local TB control programme
with case-holding. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness
of this group of volunteers in enhancing adherence of notified TB
patients to TB treatment. A cohort study was conducted with 351
TB patients (203 children and 148 adults). The data from the child
and the adult groups were analysed separately. The child group was
more adherent to TB treatment than adults. The supervision option
with staff dedicated to the treatment of TB, such as the clinic
and the SANTA creche, achieved better adherence results for pre-school
children. The supervision modalities for adults did not differ in
their adherence performance even following adjustment for confounders.
The supervision option provided by the volunteers
did not significantly improve the adherence of adult patients to
anti-TB treatment.
|
KEY WORDS: COMPLIANCE; ADHERENCE; HEALTH WORKER; VOLUNTARY
ORGANIZATION; SOUTH AFRICA |
149 |
AU |
: |
Dick J & Schoeman JH |
TI |
: |
Tuberculosis in the community: 2. The perceptions of
members of a tuberculosis health team toward a voluntary health worker
programme |
SO |
: |
TUBERCLE & LUNG DIS 1996, 77, 380-83 |
DT |
: |
Per |
AB |
: |
The setting is a voluntary health worker programme,
in the Western Cape South Africa, utilizing volunteers to administer
directly observed therapy to TB patients. This study describes the
perceptions of health team members regarding the voluntary community
health worker project. A qualitative, participatory research study
utilizing focus groups.
TB was perceived by the health team to be a stigmatized
disease causing some patients to be reluctant to be associated with
the TB control programme. Despite the projects dedicated approach
to case-holding volunteers expressed the need to develop skills
in providing more comprehensive care. The volunteers appear to administer
a more personalized service to TB patients and can bridge the gap
between TB patients and the health agency. Sustained evaluation
and support seem to be a vital tool in integrating a volunteer project
into a health team approach. Its effectiveness appears to depend
to a large degree on the people involved.
|
KEY WORDS: VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION; SOCIAL AWARENESS;
HEALTH TEAM; HEALTH WORKER; SOUTH AFRICA. |