COMMUNITY MEDICAL LIAISON GUIDELINES FOR TUBERCULOSIS USING THE COMMUNITY COOPERATION CLINICAL PATHWAY - Medical Institution's Roles in Community DOTS

The number of medical institutions that provide institutional care of tuberculosis has decreased for several reasons : the number of patients with tuberculosis has decreased ; the length of hospitalization has been shortened ; and medical care has become more efficient. In addition, the number of tuberculosis specialists has decreased. Patients with tuberculosis are currently treated by limited numbers of specialists under conditions such as limited hospital bed capacities. Physicians and medical institutions with little experience with tuberculosis are increasingly providing medical care. The creation of a community medical liaison for tuberculosis treatment is necessary to provide continuous appropriate medical care for tuberculosis including Directly Observed Treatment, Shortcourse (DOTS) from the initiation to the completion of treatment. It is important that community medical liaisons share roles and information among community medical institutions, for which the community cooperation clinical pathway is useful.