Premium
TB or Not TB? Increasing Door‐to‐Door Response to Screening
Author(s) -
Clark Patricia A.,
Cegielski J. Peter,
Hassell Willis
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.1997.tb00374.x
Subject(s) - tuberculosis , test (biology) , medicine , environmental health , public health , family medicine , nursing , pathology , paleontology , biology
Tuberculosis (TB) has made a disconcerting comeback in the United States in recent years. In 1994, Texas ranked third nationally in total number of TB cases and fifth in annual TB case rates. This is of great concern to the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and has led to the development of TB Innovative Demonstration Projects under the Tuberculosis Elimination Division of the TDH. One such project involves identifying high‐risk communities by utilizing a computer‐based geographic information system and then sending field‐workers door‐to‐door offering free skin testing. Because this project was so successful in identifying positive skin test reactors, numerous requests have been made to duplicate its methods. One area of improvement is to increase individual and family participation. The purpose of this article is to present a survey of the literature on nonresponse in door‐to‐door soliciting, analyze the project's methods of soliciting and nonresponse, and propose ways nonresponse can be decreased in future projects of this nature.