The benefits to communities and individuals of screening for active tuberculosis disease: a systematic review [State of the art series. Case finding/screening. Number 2 in the series]
METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the literature to assess the evidence that screening for TB disease 1) initially increases the number of TB cases initiated on anti-tuberculosis treatment, 2) identifies cases earlier in the course of disease, 3) reduces mortality and morbidity, and 4) impacts on TB epidemiology.
RESULTS: A total of 28 798 publications were identified by the search strategy: 27 087 were excluded on initial screening and 1749 on full text review, leaving 62 publications that addressed at least one of the study questions. Screening increases the number of cases found in the short term. In many settings, more than half of the prevalent TB cases in the community remain undiagnosed. Screening tends to find cases earlier and with less severe disease, but this may be attributed to case-finding studies using more sensitive diagnostic methods than routine programmes. Treatment outcomes among people identified through screening are similar to outcomes among those identified through passive case finding. Current studies provide insufficient evidence to show that active screening for TB disease impacts on TB epidemiology.
CONCLUSION: Individual and community-level benefits from active screening for TB disease remain uncertain. So far, the benefits of earlier diagnosis on patient outcomes and transmission have not been established.
Keywords: impact evaluation; mortality; screening; transmission
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK 2: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 3: Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK 4: Stop TB Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Publication date: 01 April 2013
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