Conducting Patient-Pathway Analysis to Inform Programming of Tuberculosis Services: Methods

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Patient-centered care is crucial for the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy.
• Understanding patient access to health services is key for effective tuberculosis program planning.
• Aligning services with patient needs and preferences is essential for tuberculosis treatment success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and detail the patient-pathway analysis (PPA) methodology.
• To understand the alignment between patient care-seeking behaviors and tuberculosis service availability.
• To provide a framework for identifying and addressing programmatic gaps in tuberculosis care.

Main Methods:

• The patient-pathway analysis (PPA) methodology was developed to map patient journeys.
• PPA describes the steps individuals with tuberculosis take from initial care visit to cure.
• This approach reveals gaps in care seeking, diagnosis, treatment initiation, and continuity of care.

Main Results:

• PPA identifies specific programmatic gaps in the tuberculosis patient care pathway.
• Results inform evidence-based interventions to improve tuberculosis service delivery.
• The methodology serves as a foundation for country-specific case studies on PPA implementation.

Conclusions:

• Patient-pathway analysis is a valuable tool for optimizing tuberculosis service delivery.
• Implementing PPA can lead to more effective and patient-centered tuberculosis control strategies.
• Understanding patient pathways is fundamental to achieving the goals of the End TB Strategy.