Establishing a cohort in a developing country: Experiences of the diabetes-tuberculosis treatment outcome cohort study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Prospective cohort studies are instrumental in generating valid scientific evidence based on identifying temporal associations between cause and effect. Researchers in a developing country like Pakistan seldom undertake cohort studies hence little is known about the challenges encountered while conducting them. We describe the retention rates among tuberculosis patients with and without diabetes, look at factors associated with loss to follow up among the cohort and assess operational factors that contributed to retention of cohort. METHODS:A prospective cohort study was initiated in October 2013 at the Gulab Devi Chest Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. We recruited 614 new adult cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, whose diabetic status was ascertained by conducting random and fasting bl

SUBMITTER: Mukhtar F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7384568 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature