Publications by authors named "K Steingart"
Pre-treatment loss to follow-up in adults with pulmonary TB in Kenya.
Public Health Action
March 2024
Setting: County referral hospital in western Kenya.
Objectives: To ascertain the proportion of pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) and associated patient factors in adults with pulmonary TB (PTB) in western Kenya.
Design: A retrospective data review of laboratory and treatment registers for adults with bacteriologically confirmed PTB between January 2018 to December 2021.
Objectives: To provide guidance on rating imprecision in a body of evidence assessing the accuracy of a single test. This guide will clarify when Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) users should consider rating down the certainty of evidence by one or more levels for imprecision in test accuracy.
Study Design And Setting: A project group within the GRADE working group conducted iterative discussions and presentations at GRADE working group meetings to produce this guidance.
Article Synopsis
- Tuberculosis remains a major global health issue, and this study explores the potential of oral swabs as a non-sputum method for accurately diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in both adults and children.
- The systematic review examined 16 studies involving over 3,000 participants and found that sensitivity of oral swabs ranged from 36% to 91% in adults but was much lower in children, while specificity was generally high, often exceeding 90%.
- The research indicates that although oral swabs could be a viable diagnostic tool, significant variations in study methods and limited consistency across samples highlight the need for further investigation to optimize their use.
Health worker views on pre-treatment loss to follow-up in adults with pulmonary TB in Western Kenya.
Public Health Action
September 2023
Setting: County referral hospital in Western Kenya.
Objectives: To explore factors contributing to pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) in adults with pulmonary TB and propose solutions to address PTLFU from healthcare worker (HCW) perspectives.
Design: This was an exploratory qualitative study using thematic analysis.
Article Synopsis
- Over 14 million people have been treated for tuberculosis (TB) globally since 2018, but many patients drop out before treatment begins, leading to increased transmission and mortality rates.
- This study aimed to understand the reasons behind pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) from the perspectives of patients and healthcare workers in adults with pulmonary TB.
- The analysis of five qualitative studies revealed key issues such as poor communication, lack of knowledge and resources, and logistical challenges, showing that improving healthcare systems is essential for reducing PTLFU rates.