A pilot program to improve TB care with primary and specialty care coordination in TB public health clinic

TL;DR

A pilot program at a TB clinic in New Orleans improved patient care by providing on-site primary care and coordinating specialty care, especially for those without regular access.

Contribution

The study introduces a model of on-site primary care and care coordination to improve TB management in public health clinics.

Findings

209 out of 354 patients required on-site Nurse Practitioner-based Bridge Care and care coordination.

A 20% shift occurred from patients with no primary care to those with regular primary care.

The program enhanced TB care and could serve as a model for other clinics.

Abstract

The Wetmore Tuberculosis (TB) Clinic in New Orleans serves patients who often lack primary care (PC) or specialty care (SC), which is complicated by comorbidities. An initiative to provide on-site PC and coordinate care aims to enhance TB patient management.

Data collection involved categorizing patients based on their PC status: Group I (regular PC), Group II (intermittent PC), and Group III (no PC), with on-site Nurse Practitioner-based Bridge Care (NPBC) provided as needed.

Over 12 months, 209 out of 354 patients required NPBC and PC/SC coordination, with a 20% shift from Group III to Group I, reducing the need for NPBC.

The program improved TB care at Wetmore TB Clinic, offering a potential model for other TB clinics to enhance patient adherence and TB and post-TB treatment follow-up.