Evaluation of the pulmonary tuberculosis surveillance system in patients aged 15 years and over who were treated at Mae Lao Hospital, Chiang Rai Province from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2022

Abstract

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a major public health problem in Chiang Rai province and Thailand. In 2022, Mae Lao district had a reporting rate of new and recurrent tuberculosis patients of 89.74 per 100,000 population. The researchers were interested in evaluating the tuberculosis surveillance system of Mae Lao Hospital from the national tuberculosis patient report (NTIP online program). The objectives were to study the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the tuberculosis patient surveillance and reporting system in Mae Lao Hospital. The study was a cross-sectional study that reviewed the medical records of patients who received treatment at Mae Lao Hospital, aged 15 years and over, from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2022. The data were analyzed for quantitative characteristics, and 8 related personnel were interviewed to assess the qualitative characteristics. The study found 110 patients who met the definition, 86 of whom were reported to the NTIP online program, resulting in a sensitivity of 78.18 percent and a positive predictive value of 100 percent. In terms of data quality, the accuracy was 94.18 percent on average, the completeness was 100 percent, and the timeliness from the date of diagnosis to the date of reporting/registration in the NTIP online program reporting system within 7 days was 88.37 percent. The representativeness of the data from both sources was similar and could be used as a representative. The qualitative characteristics included ease of use, acceptance, sustainability, and utilization of the surveillance system.