Economic support to improve tuberculosis treatment outcomes in South Africa: a qualitative process evaluation of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Poverty undermines the adherence of patients to tuberculosis treatment. A pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the extent to which economic support in the form of a voucher would improve patients' adherence to treatment, and their treatment outcomes. Although the trial showed a modest improvement in the treatment success rates of the intervention group, this was not statistically significant, due in part to the low fidelity to the trial intervention. A qualitative process evaluation, conducted in the final few months of the trial, explained some of the factors that contributed to this low fidelity.

Methods

In-depth interviews were conducted with patients who received vouchers, nurses in intervention clinics, personnel in shops

SUBMITTER: Lutge E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4086265 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature