Availability of tuberculosis patients in Taiyuan in 2006

Objective The study was conducted to investigate the availability of tuberculosis patients to the direct reporting network system of non-tuberculosis prevention and control agencies in Taiyuan in 2006, in order to raise the availability of tuberculosis patients. Methods The registration, referral, tracking and availability of tuberculosis patients was statistically summarized and analyzed based on the data from Monthly Statement on Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Planning in Shanxi Province, and China's Monthly Statement on TB Control in 2006. Results The referral availability was 30.3% among tuberculosis patients and 40.4% among smear-positive tuberculosis patients in 2006. The tracking availability was 64.8% among referral-unavailable patients and 84.9% among smear positive patients. The others causes (address unknown or person not found) of tracking unavailability accounted for 70.5% of all causes. One patient was not followed up in the area. Conclusion The availability of tuberculosis patients can be improved by strengthening the medical training in integrated hospitals, strictly managing the quality of card reporting process, initiating the enthusiasm of related professionals, and publicizing TB-related knowledge.