Computer laboratory notification system via short message service to reduce health care delays in management of tuberculosis in Taiwan.

Background: We investigated the impacts of introducing an expedited acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear laboratory procedure and an automatic, real-time laboratory notification system by short message with mobile phones on delays in prompt isolation of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: We analyzed the data for all patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis at a hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a 1,600-bed medical center, during baseline (January 2004 to February 2005) and intervention (July 2005 to August 2006) phases.

Results: A total of 96 and 127 patients with AFB-positive TB was reported during the baseline and intervention phases, respectively.

Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in hospitalized patients are affected by physician specialty and experience.

Introduction: Healthcare system delays in the diagnosis of tuberculosis can increase the risk of its nosocomial transmission. We aimed to determine whether different physicians' specialties and experience influenced this diagnostic delay.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 167 patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis who were hospitalized from September, 2004, to August, 2006, for 5 components of healthcare system delays according to the World Health Organization definitions and analyzed the impact of physicians' specialties and their experience (annual number of patients treated for tuberculosis) on these delays.