Social support during treatment and treatment outcomes in the management of tuberculosis: Evidence from Ghana, West Africa

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem and ranks as the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide. The general objective of this study was to determine the relationship between family support and tuberculosis treatment outcome at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital during the period of January and December 2011. Another objective was to determine the proportion of TB clients with successful treatment outcomes in the health facility in 2011. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, which included a review of 686 medical records from January - December 2011 and a survey of 105 patients treated during the same period. A successful treatment outcome was defined as the proportion of new smear-positive TB cases that successfully completed treatment, whether with (“cured”) or without (“treatment completed”) bacteriologic evidence of success. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between family support and TB treatment outcomes, adjusting for clinical and demographic factors. In 2011, 72.5% of patients treated for TB at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital had successful treatment outcomes. This proportion was lower than the national average of 85.5%. Results from multivariate logistic regression suggest that patients who reported having support from their families during treatment were more likely to have a successful treatment outcome. Treatment outcomes for the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is significantly lower than the national average. Family support during treatment may be vital for treatment success. Health care providers should consider the importance of family involvement when treating patients for TB.