Tuberc Respir Dis.  2003 Feb;54(2):178-190. 10.4046/trd.2003.54.2.178.

The Accuracy of Tuberculosis Notification Reports at a Private General Hospital after Enforcement of New Korean Tuberculosis Surveillance System

• Kim CH
• Koh WJ
• Kwon OJ
• Ahn YM
• Lim SY
• An CH
• Youn JW
• Hwang JH
• Suh GY
• Chung MP
• Kim H

• KMID: 2158835
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2003.54.2.178

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The committee of tuberculosis(TB) survey planning for the year 2000 decided to construct the Korean Tuberculosis Surveillance System (KTBS), based on a doctor's routine reporting method. The successful keys of the KTBS rely on the precision of the recorded TB notification forms. The purpose of this study was to determine that the accuracy of the TB notification form written at a private general hospital given to the corresponding health center and to improve the comprehensiveness of these reporting systems.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
291 adult TB patients who had been diagnosed from August 2000 to January 2001, were enrolled in this study. The lists of TB notification forms were compared with the medical records and the various laboratory results; case characteristics, history of previous treatment, examinations for diagnosis, site of the TB by the international classification of the disease, and treatment.
RESULTS
In the list of examinations for a diagnosis in 222 pulmonary TB patients, the concordance rate of the 'sputum smear exam' was 76% but that of the 'sputum culture exam' was only 23%. Among the 198 cases of the sputum culture exam labeled 'not examined', 43(21.7%) cases proved to be true 'not examined', 70 cases(35.4%) were proven to be 'culture positive', and 85(43.0%) cases were proven to be 'culture negative'. In the list of examinations for a diagnosis in 69 extrapulmonary TB patients, the concordance rate of the 'smear exam other than sputum' was 54%. In the list of treatments, the overall concordance rate of the 'type of registration' in the TB notification form was 85%. Among the 246 'new' cases on the TB notification form, 217(88%) cases were true 'new' cases and 13 were proven to be 'relapse', 2 were proven to be 'treatment after failure', one was proven to be 'treatment after default', 12 were proven to be 'transferred-in' and one was proven to be 'chronic'. Among the 204 HREZ prescribed regimen, 172(84.3%) patients were taking the HREZ regimen, and the others were prescribed other drug regimens.
CONCLUSION
Correct recording of the TB notification form at the private sectors is necessary for supporting the effective TB surveillance system in Korea.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; Surveillance; Private sector; Korea

MeSH Terms

Adult
Classification
Diagnosis
Hospitals, General*
Humans
Korea
Medical Records
Private Sector
Sputum
Tuberculosis*