The Role of Dots and Tuberculosis Treatment Supervisor in Enhancing Patient Compliance With Tuberculosis Chemotherapy in Nigeria.

The objective of this study is to determine the role of directly observed treatment short course and tuberculosis supervisor (home visitor) in enhancing patient compliance with tuberculosis therapy with a view of formulating a model that can be used to stem the resurgence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Nigeria. The Eight month Regimen ie (2ERZH/6HT) was used to treat all newly diagnosed cases of pulmonary tuberculosis that presented randomly at the tuberculosis clinic in Iwo, Nigeria over a 2- year period. Directly observe treatment short course was used with treatment supervisor who was provided with a motorcycle to visit and educate defaulters at home. Drugs were provided free to all patients used in the study. The setting was Iwo Local Government TB control clinic at Iwo, Osun state of Nigeria. 500 subjects were included in the evaluation. Three hundred were females and two hundred were males. The evaluation of the DOTS Therapy, Short course was carried out between January 1996 and December 1997.The intervention strategy used included Directly observe treatment short course and TB-Home visitor or supervisor to effect compliance. 100 percent compliance and cure rate was recorded with the use of Directly observe treatment short course and TB home visitor in this study. In conclusion, the use of Directly observe treatment short course with free drug provision and the use of TB Home visitor as used in this study confirmed its effectiveness in enhancing compliance and hence cure of pulmonary tuberculosis. This study is a model that can be adopted for the whole of Nigeria and other countries globally if TB must be controlled. Key Words: DOTS, Compliance, pulmonary tuberculosis, Nigeria. Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 45 No 6, 2004 (102-105)