Compliance with tuberculosis drug regimens: Incentives and enablers offered by public health departments

Abstract

Objectives. This research examined incentives implemented by public health departments to encourage tuberculosis patients to comply with tuberculosis drug regimens. Methods. A questionnaire addressing incentives was mailed to the directors of each state's health department during May 1995. All 50 states and the District of Columbia returned questionnaires. Results. The survey results indicate that public health departments in almost all states are implementing the incentives advocated by tuberculosis experts. Conclusions. The implementation of these incentives may help to explain why the incidence of tuberculosis resumed its long-term decline in the United States during 1993 after a decade of resurgence.