Effectiveness of the TB Contact Priority Model

描述（申请人提供）：活动性肺结核患者接触者调查是结核病控制的重要流行病学手段。不幸的是，由于预算和资源的限制，许多卫生部门难以通过接触者调查履行结核控制的责任。这个项目的广泛目的是由阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校和阿拉巴马州公共卫生部的调查人员提出的，目的是使用一种以行为为重点的教育，这种教育已被证明是有效的，以提高接触者调查过程的准确性和效率。以行为为重点的干预措施将侧重于使公共卫生工作者能够理解和实施最近发表的结核病传播模型。使用计算机算法证明了这种结核病传播模型的有效性；然而，我们努力衡量结核接触优先模型在现场应用的临床有效性。为实现这一目标，将实现以下具体目标：1)通过使用经统计验证的结核病传播模型，加强目前阿拉巴马州公共卫生部接触者调查协议和计算机模块；2)修改并重新实施有效的以行为为重点的教育干预，使结核病现场工作人员能够理解和实施结核病接触优先模型并使用计算机模块；3)对以下方面进行正式评估：a)以行为为重点的教育干预；b)新开发的计算机模块的有用性；c)实地实施结核病接触优先模式的临床效果；4)与其他结核病控制项目传播和分享结果，以改善接触者调查并提供更有效的结核病控制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Investigation of contacts of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is an important epidemiological tool in TB control. Unfortunately, due to budgetary and resource constraints, many health departments struggle to fulfill their responsibility of TB control through contact investigation. The broad purpose of this project, proposed by investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the State of Alabama Department of Public Health, is to use a behaviorally focused education that has been proven effective to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the contact investigation process. The behaviorally focused intervention will focus on enabling public health workers to understand and implement a recently published model of TB transmission. The efficacy of this TB transmission model has been demonstrated by using computer algorithms; however, we endeavor to measure the clinical effectiveness of the TB contact priority model in field application. To achieve this goal, the following specific aims will be accomplished: 1) Enhance the current State of Alabama Department of Public Health contact investigation protocols and computer modules by using the statistically validated models of TB transmission; 2) Modify and re-implement an effective behaviorally focused education intervention to enable TB field workers to understand and implement the TB contact priority model and use the computer modules; 3) Conduct a formal evaluation of the a) behaviorally focused education intervention, b) usefulness of the newly developed computer modules, and c) the clinical effectiveness of the field implementation of the TB contact priority model; and 4) Disseminate and share results with other TB control programs seeking to improve contact investigation and provide more efficient TB disease control.