Cost of TB care and equity in distribution of catastrophic TB care costs across income quintiles in India.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant social and economic burden to households of persons with TB (PwTB). Despite free diagnosis and care under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), individuals often experience significant out-of-pocket expenditure and lost productivity, causing financial catastrophe. We estimated the costs incurred by the PwTB during TB care and identified the factors associated with the costs.

Burden and challenges in managing TB infection among people with occupational exposure to silica in India.

Background: Occupational exposure to silica increases the risk of TB infection (TBI) and disease. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of TBI and explore challenges in TBI management in such individuals in two districts of India during 2023.

Methods: This was an explanatory mixed-methods study with a quantitative cohort design and qualitative descriptive in-depth interviews.

Personality in Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder: A Multiphasic Personality Questionnaire Study.

Background: This study explored the relationship between personality attributes and substance use disorder (SUD). Research has identified specific personality dimensions, such as neuroticism, psychoticism, antisocial personality traits, paranoia, and anxiety, as contributing factors on the way to the initiation, continuation, and relapse of SUD.

Purpose: To explore this connection, we examined the personality profiles of subjects with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD).

Bridging the "know-do" gap to improve active case finding for tuberculosis in India: A qualitative exploration into national tuberculosis elimination program staffs' perspectives.

Background: In 2022, India's national tuberculosis (TB) elimination program (NTEP) commissioned a national level evaluation of active case finding (ACF) for TB to guide evidence-based strategic planning. As part of this evaluation, based on secondary data analysis we observed that the quality of ACF was suboptimal in 2021. Hence, this study aimed to understand the enablers, barriers, and suggested solutions to improve ACF for TB in India from NTEP staff (provider) perspective.

3HP preventive treatment among children and adolescents with HIV and child household contacts of TB patients.

Introduction: India's National TB Elimination Programme plans to roll out short-course TB preventive therapy (TPT) using 3 months of rifapentine and isoniazid (3HP). Understanding the feasibility and safety of children in programmatic settings is critical for widespread implementation. We present the findings of a targeted scale-up of 3HP among children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV) and child household contacts (>2 to <6 years) of pulmonary TB patients (CHHC).

: receipt and utilization among persons with TB notified under the National TB Elimination Program in India, 2022.

Background: (NPY), a direct benefit transfer scheme under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) in India, provides a monthly benefit of INR500 for nutritional support of persons with TB (PwTB).

Objectives: To determine the proportion of PwTB receiving atleast one NPY instalment and pattern of utilisation; to ascertain factors associated with NPY non-receipt and association of NPY receipt with TB treatment outcome.

Methods: In our cross-sectional study, we used multi-stage sampling to select PwTB whose treatment outcome was declared between May 2022 and February 2023.

Trends of Buprenorphine Prescribing for Opioid Dependence Before, and During the Early and Later Part of the COVID-19: A Study from a Large Publicly-Funded Opioid Agonist Treatment Services in India.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the availability and access to medications for opioid dependence (OD). We examined the monthly trends in new buprenorphine/naloxone (BNX) treatment episodes, number of clinical visits for BNX, BNX dispensed per person, and BNX prescription over 56-month, which included pre-pandemic, during early, and later part of pandemic (Jan 2017 - Aug 2022).

Methods: Research data were collected from the pharmacy database of a large publicly funded treatment center in India.

Direct benefit transfer for nutritional support of patients with TB in India-analysis of national TB program data of 3.7 million patients, 2018-2022.

Background: Patients with TB have additional nutritional requirements and thus additional costs to the household. Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana(NPY) is a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme(NTEP) in India which offers INR 500 monthly to all notified patients with TB for nutritional support during the period of anti-TB treatment. Five years after its implementation, we conducted the first nationwide evaluation of NPY.

The potential health and economic impacts of new tuberculosis vaccines under varying delivery strategies in Delhi and Gujarat, India: a modelling study.

Background: India has the largest tuberculosis burden globally, but this burden varies nationwide. All-age tuberculosis prevalence in 2021 ranged from 747/100,000 in Delhi to 137/100,000 in Gujarat. Previous modelling has demonstrated the benefits and costs of introducing novel tuberculosis vaccines in India overall.

Quality of active case-finding for tuberculosis in India: a national level secondary data analysis.

Background: India has been implementing active case-finding (ACF) for TB among marginalised and vulnerable (high-risk) populations since 2017. The effectiveness of ACF cycle(s) is dependent on the use of appropriate screening and diagnostic tools and meeting quality indicators.

Objectives: To determine the number of ACF cycles implemented in 2021 at national, state ( = 36) and district ( = 768) level and quality indicators for the first ACF cycle.

Service users' perception and attitude toward telemedicine-based treatment for substance use disorders: A qualitative study from India.

Aim: We aimed to assess the service user's acceptability, feasibility, and attitude toward telemedicine practice and compare it with in-person consultation in substance use disorder (SUD).

Materials And Methods: We recruited 15 adult patients with SUD who accessed both telemedicine and in-person care. We conducted in-depth interviews on awareness and access, facilitators and barriers, treatment satisfaction, and therapeutic relationship in the telemedicine context.

Does the Etiology, Phenomenology and Motor Subtype of Delirium Differ When It Occurs in Patients With An Underlying Dementia?: A Multi-Site, International Study.

Objectives: To compare the etiology, phenomenology and motor subtype of delirium in patients with and without an underlying dementia.

Methods: A combined dataset (n = 992) was collated from two databases of older adults (>65 years) from liaison psychiatry and palliative care populations in Ireland and India. Phenomenology and severity of delirium were analysed using the Delirium Symptom Rating Scale Revised (DRS-R98) and contributory etiologies for the delirium groups were ascertained using the Delirium Etiology Checklist (DEC).

New tuberculosis vaccines in India: modelling the potential health and economic impacts of adolescent/adult vaccination with M72/AS01 and BCG-revaccination.

Background: India had an estimated 2.9 million tuberculosis cases and 506 thousand deaths in 2021. Novel vaccines effective in adolescents and adults could reduce this burden.

Does Prescription Length of Buprenorphine Influence Treatment Outcomes in Opioid Use Disorder? A Retrospective Cohort Study from North India.

Objective: Buprenorphine (BUP) effectively suppresses non-prescription opioid use and increases treatment retention in opioid use disorder (OUD). However, short prescription length may interfere with treatment retention and recovery. We wanted to examine whether the outcomes of BUP treatment differ in high (HPL up to 4 wk) and low-prescription (LPL 1-2 wk) length groups.

Effectiveness of buprenorphine (naloxone) for opioid dependence does not differ across opioid categories: a retrospective cohort study from India.

We aimed to examine whether treatment retention, abstinence, and adherence to buprenorphine-naloxone (BNX) differ among individuals with opioid dependence (OD) across three common categories of opioids- heroin, opium, and low-potency pharmaceutical. In a retrospective cohort study, we analyzed outpatient treatment records from March 2020 through February 2022. Opioid category was determined by lifetime and current opioid use.

Neurocognitive Functions in Patients with Comorbid Hepatitis C and Opioid Dependence: A Comparative Study.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is commonly comorbid with opioid dependence (OD). We wanted to compare the neurocognitive functions of OD subjects with or without HCV [HCV (+), HCV (-)] and healthy controls (HC).

Methods: We recruited 40 adult subjects (age 18-55 years) in each group.

Assist-linked brief intervention to reduce risky pattern of substance use in male workers employed at a tertiary care hospital in India: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Substance use in workplace leads to adverse effects both on the employees and on the workplace. Existing research focuses on alcohol-related harm, while workplace use of other substances has been neglected. There are no randomized controlled studies of brief interventions in Indian hospital settings.

New tuberculosis vaccines in India: Modelling the potential health and economic impacts of adolescent/adult vaccination with M72/AS01 and BCG-revaccination.

Background India had an estimated 2.9 million tuberculosis cases and 506 thousand deaths in 2021. Novel vaccines effective in adolescents and adults could reduce this burden.

Building communities of practice through case-based e-learning to prevent and manage TB among people living with HIV-India.

Background: Co-management of HIV-TB coinfection remains a challenge globally. Addressing TB among people living with HIV (PLHIV) is a key priority for the Government of India (GoI). In 2016, GoI implemented single-window services to prevent and manage TB in PLHIV.

The therapeutic relationships, empathy, and satisfaction in teleconsultation for substance use disorders: Better or worse than in-person consultation?

Context: Telemedicine has become one of the essential modes of healthcare delivery. Different aspects of the physician-patient relationship during tele and in-person consultation need to be studied.

Aims: This study aimed to compare perceived empathy and therapeutic relationship between tele and in-person consultation and assess the patient's satisfaction during teleconsultation for substance use disorder (SUD).

Predictors of Treatment Completion in an Inpatient Substance Use Treatment Service in India.

Introduction: Treatment completion is associated with a better outcome in substance use disorders. We examined the rates of treatment completion and its predictors in patients admitted to specialized addiction treatment settings over a 13-year period.

Methods: Ours was a retrospective cohort study.

Course and Correlates of Stigma in Patients on Opioid Agonist Treatment: A Prospective Study from an Outpatient Treatment Program in India.

Background: Individuals with opioid dependence experience stigma and discrimination. Stigma can potentially reduce treatment-seeking and negatively affect treatment outcomes. We aimed to study the course of stigma and its correlates among patients receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT).