Improving notification rates for tuberculosis

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Abstract
Notification of cases of tuberculosis is a legal requirement to permit calculation of accurate incidence figures and efficient contact tracing. We previously found considerable undernotification of cases at our hospitals.1 To improve the percentage of cases notified several changes have been instigated. All consultants are encouraged to refer cases of tuberculosis to a chest physician; copies of reports of smears or cultures positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and histology suggestive of tuberculosis are sent to a consultant in communicable disease control (GD); and the pharmacy informs the consultant of patients prescribed isoniazid. When unnotified cases are identified during these procedures the consultant in communicable disease control contacts the consultant in charge of the patient as a reminder to notify. We report an …