Evaluating the impact of decentralising tuberculosis microscopy services to rural township hospitals in Gansu Province, China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In 2004, the Ministry of Health issued the policy of decentralising microscopy services (MCs) to one third of all township hospitals in China. The study was conducted in Gansu Province, a poor western one in China. Ganzhou was one county in Gansu Province. Ganzhou County was identified as a unique case of further decentralisation of tuberculosis (TB) treatment services in township hospitals. The study evaluated the impact of the MC policy on providers and patients in Gansu Province. The second objective was to assess the unique case of Ganzhou County compared with other counties in the province.

Methods

Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. All 523 MCs in the province completed an institutional survey regarding their performance. Four counties were

SUBMITTER: Wei X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3048529 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature