Rabago, C. A. M. (2011). Active case finding among contacts of tuberculosis cases and barriers to their timely health care in Quezon, Nueva Ecija (Unpublished master's thesis). Graduate School of Public and Development Management, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Graduate School of Public and Development Management Health Systems and Development Batch 1 Thesis (MPM-HSD)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

A low case detection rate of tuberculosis means that the health system fails to detect sympomatic patients due to the DOTS reliance on passive case finding. Sole passive case finding of tuberculosis may lead to delay in treatment which may contribute to the severity of the disease and mortality. An active case finding scheme was designed for the identification of smear positive tuberculosis patients and was tested on eight barangays for two months. Household member of the previously diagnosed sputum smear positive patients and their neighbors were screened for cough of more than two weeks. A survey was done to identify the factors of delayed health seeking behavior of patients. Out of the 262 household contacts of 50 identified index case subjects, only 30 participants had a cough of more than 2 weeks and 5 of them were diagnosed with sputum smear positive tuberculosis. Out of the 1082 household contacts of the same index case subjects, only 45 participants presented with cough of more the 2 weeks, and only one had a sputum smear positive result. During the same time period, six symptomatics self-reported to the Rural Health Unit, and only 3 of them were sputum smear positive. The survey showed that the primary reason for the delayed consult of patients is their failure to recognize the severity of their symptoms. It was concluded that using the active case finding scheme, together with the passive case finding, could potentially increase the detection rate of TB and expand the DOTS program. It can be used an option to improve the low case detection rate and provide patient-centered services in the community.