Promoting treatment adherence among patients with tuberculosis living in extreme poverty: the experience of the Mobile Tuberculosis Control Team at Samusocial de Paris, 2015–2018

Introduction - Treatment adherence is a key factor in the success of anti-tuberculosis therapy. People living in extremely precarious circumstances face numerous medical and social vulnerabilities that make it difficult for them to take their medication regularly. Samusocial de Paris therefore initiated the creation of the Mobile Tuberculosis Control Team (EMLT) 20 years ago. Its goal is to support treatment adherence among vulnerable patients with active tuberculosis throughout their treatment. What sets this team apart is its multidisciplinary and personalized approach, designed to maximize the chances of recovery. Method - The objective of this article is to describe the intervention methods of this initiative, which is unique in France. We will describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of the population of new patients treated within our program between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018. Treatment outcomes are defined by the referring clinician, and support outcomes are classified as favorable or unfavorable. Results - From 2015 to 2018, 691 new patients received follow-up care through the EMLT. At the end of the support period, treatment was considered completed for 584 patients (85.5%). Among the unfavorable support outcomes, there were 8 deaths (1.2%), 78 patients were lost to follow-up (11.4%)—of whom 34 (5%) had been lost to follow-up for 12 months and 44 (6.4%) had been transferred—and 13 patients (1.9%) had their treatment interrupted and not resumed. Conclusion - Despite the complex nature of follow-up in this population, the majority of patients supported by the EMLT complete their treatment. Our hypothesis is that a multimodal approach could promote treatment adherence. The impact of this type of intervention on treatment outcomes warrants evaluation through studies that take into account medical and social vulnerabilities.

Author(s): Wicky-Thisse Marie, Bodénès Solène, Pasquet Armelle

Publishing year: 2020

Pages: 218-223

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2020, n° 10-11, p. 218-223

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