The referral pathway of presumptive drug-resistant tuberculosis in an urban poor setting, The Philippines.

Setting: Socio-economically underprivileged urban areas in the Philippines. Objectives: To identify gaps in the referral pathway of presumptive drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients from initial consultation until initiation of treatment. Design: A retrospective study in which a masterlist of presumptive multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients registered in 18 DOTS facilities in Tondo, Manila and Payatas, Quezon City, from October 2012 to September 2013, was analysed and reviewed. Results: Among 378 presumptive DR-TB patients identified and listed in the masterlist, 97% (368/378) were referred, of whom 90% (333/368) were screened at an MDR-TB treatment centre. Of the 368 patients, 35 (9.5%) were not screened, mainly due to loss to follow-up. Among those screened, 86.4% (288/333) were recommended for anti-tuberculosis treatment, of whom 98.2% (283/288) initiated treatment. The time between sample collection and examination was significantly longer at the laboratories of non-government organisations (NGOs) than at local government units (LGUs) (1 day vs. 0 day; P < 0.001). The time to the release of smear examination results to patients was significantly shorter at the NGOs than at the LGUs (4 days vs. 6 days; P = 0.009). Conclusion: The development of the presumptive MDR-TB masterlist facilitated tracking of patients for diagnosis and treatment. The NGOs should reduce delays in diagnosis and the LGUs should intensify patient follow-up to ensure early initiation of treatment.