[Use of a risk assessment inventory in implementation of the community DOTS in Shinjuku, Japan].

Purposes: To investigate the effectiveness of a risk assessment for implementing the DOTS of outpatients in the Japanese city of Shinjuku.

Subjects: A total of 435 patients with tuberculosis or latent tuberculosis infection who were registered in the city of Shinjuku between 1 April 2005 and 31 December 2007.

Methods: Soon after their diagnosis or registration and again 4 months thereafter, the patients were interviewed by the public health nurse in charge using a risk assessment inventory that had 17 scales related to the risk of defaulting from the treatment.

[Tuberculosis control in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo--promoting the DOTS program and its outcome].

Objectives: The objectives were to report how to promote tuberculosis (TB) control including DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) programs, and to evaluate the results of TB control programs in Shinjuku Ward (Shinjuku-ku). SETTING AND CHARACTERISTICS: Inhabitants and TB patients in Shinjuku Ward. Shinjuku Ward is located in the center of metropolitan Tokyo and has typical urban TB problems, such as high incidence rate and TB among foreigners and the homeless.