The effect of training provided to tuberculosis patients and the contact people and follow-up BY phone on compliance to treatment

provided to tuberculosis (TB) patients and contacting people on compliance to treatment between July 2018 - July 2019 in Tuberculosis Control Dispensary (TCD) with Pretest-Posttest design. The study population were all the patients who were treated in the TCD and their contacted people and the sampling of the study consisted of the patients who were willing to participate in the study and who met the inclusion criteria. The study was conducted with the following groups: TB Intervention (n: 32), TB Control (n: 34), Contacted Intervention (n: 41), and contacted control group (n: 46), a total of 66 patients and 87 contacted people. The required permissions were obtained before the study commenced. The data of the study were collected with the Patient and Contact Question Form, Tuberculosis Adherence Determination Scale-TADS, and with the Morisky 8-Item Adherence to Drug Questionnaire. TB training was performed to the Intervention Group patients at the beginning of the treatment and was repeated once a month for six months. In addition, the patients were interviewed each day for 15 days, and a short message was sent every day. The TADS was applied initially, and in the first, third and sixth months. The contacting intervention group were trained when they referred to the TCD, they were contacted once a month by phone, and a short message was sent every day. The Morisky-8 was applied in the commencement of the study, and in the 1st, 3rd and 6th months. The mean TADS scores of the Tuberculosis Intervention Group in the 1st, 3rd and 6th months were; 80.4±7.9, 117.8±6.3, 137.7±7.5, 143.2±4.5, respectively; and the TADS scores of the Tuberculosis Control Group in the 1st, 3rd and 6th months were; 88.1±7.1, 84.5±9.8, 75.9±7.9, 65.2±9.2, respectively (p<0.001). The mean Morisky scores of the Contacted Intervention Group in the 1st, 3rd and 6th months were; 3.6±1.3, 5.5±0.7, 7.2±0.8, 7.7±0.7, and those of the Control Group were 5.7±1.4, 4.3±1.4, 1.8±1.5, 0.7±1.4, respectively (p<0.001). As a result of the 6-month training and follow-up by phone, it was determined that the adherence of the TB patients to tuberculosis increased, and the adherence of the contacted people to the medication increased. In the light of these data, it may be recommended that trainings and telephone follow-ups are carried out during treatment to improve the adherence of TB patients and contacting people to treatment.