Knowing about you: eliciting dimensions of personhood within tuberculosis care

Knowing someone with tuberculosis (TB) as a person, rather than defining them by their illness, is part of recognising their dignity and unique individuality, and a requirement for effective care.

An adaptation of the Patient Dignity Question (PDQ) was formalised for persons receiving treatment for active TB or latent tuberculous infection (LTBI), and its impact was evaluated for both the person and health care providers (HCPs).

Individuals with active TB or LTBI receiving treatment in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, were asked the PDQ as part of routine care. Patients and HCPs were subsequently invited to evaluate the application of the PDQ.

Of the 58 participants who responded to the PDQ, 97% felt both that it was important to ask about them as an individual, and that the PDQ should be asked of all patients, while 55% thought it made a difference to their care. Thirty-eight per cent of HCPs said they learned something new about their patient, and 31% said it influenced their sense of connectedness with and sense of empathy for patients, as well as their personal satisfaction in providing care.

Formalising a dignity question as part of person-centred care provides a mechanism to create a respectful environment that is caring of the most marginalised who carry the burden of TB.