Researchers from China, the Philippines and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) have today published a new systematic review of reminder systems to improve patient adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Reminder systems include prompts in advance of a forthcoming appointment to help ensure the patients attend, and also actions when people miss an appointment, such as phoning them or arranging a home visit.
This review is the latest in a suite of reviews produced by authors from the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group, hosted at LSTM, evaluating interventions to improve adherence to TB treatment. Effective treatment for TB requires people to take multiple drugs every day for at least six months, and many patients drop out of treatment before it is completed (especially when they start feeling better) because they forget, or due to the costs and inconvenience of attending multiple clinic appointments. Incomplete treatment contributes to the spread of TB and the development of drug resistance.
Lead author Dr. Qin Liu from the China Effective Health Care Network, says, “Policies of sending reminders to people pre-appointment, and contacting people who miss appointments, seem sensible additions to any TB program, and this review provides evidence that they have important benefits and can contribute to improving treatment completion.”
New editions of reviews on the use of money and other material incentives and directly observed therapy to improve adherence are expected over the coming months.
Reference: Liu Q, Abba K, Alejandria MM, Sinclair D, Balanag VM, Lansang MAD. Reminder systems to improve patient adherence to tuberculosis clinic appointments for diagnosis and treatment. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 11. Art. No.: CD006594. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006594.pub3.
Source: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.