Change in Quality of Tuberculosis (TB) Care since National Quality Assessment Program of TB Healthcare Service

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the quality of tuberculosis (TB) care after the 1<sup>st</sup> to 3<sup>rd</sup> national quality assessment (QA) program for TB healthcare service in Korea was conducted.Methods: We analyzed Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) claims data of new TB patients during the period of January to June from 2018-2020. The new TB patients were defined as TB patients reported to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA). The unit of analysis was the patient. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the differences in indicator value according to the types of medical facilities. The QA indicators of TB care were divided into 3 areas consisting of the following 7 quality indicators: 4 indicators of diagnosis test (the rate of acid-fast bacilli smear, the rate of acid-fast bacilli culture, the rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-polymerase chain reaction, drug susceptibility test), 1 compliance of treatment guideline, and 2 indicators of care management of TB patients (encounter rate, day of therapy).Results: The QA program for TB care was conducted among 8,246 patients from 534 facilities in 2020. The value of the 7 quality indicators was shown to increase as a result of the QA program. The indicators of the diagnostic test were all higher than 95%, with the exception of the drug susceptibility test which was 84.8%. Both indicators for care management of TB patients were 88.5%.Conclusion: The quality of TB care has been improving with the implementation of the QA program. In order to continue to improve the quality of TB care, it will be necessary to disclose the results of the QA program in medical facilities in the future.

Nationwide Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Multidrug/Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in Korea, 2011–2017: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Korean TB-POST)

“… 27 28 Recently, the completeness and accuracy of data from the KTBS have been gradually improved probably due to strengthened efforts such as the National Public- Private Mix program 29 and the national quality assessment program of TB healthcare service. 30 Third, we did not distinguish recurrence between clinical and microbiological recurrence, and relapse and re-infection.…”