Prevent TB: Application of Choice Architecture to Implement TB Preventive Therapy in South Africa
Abstract
Background: Clinical guidelines and policies often fail to achieve high levels of delivery of intended clinical interventions. The difference in what the investigators know works and what is actually delivered at the clinic-level to patients, is known as the "science-to-service gap." In the realm of tuberculosis (TB) prevention, this gap is reflected in \<20% of TB preventive therapy (TPT) -eligible persons living with HIV (PWH) being offered or initiated on isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) in many settings. Recent innovation in TPT have brought new pharmacological options allowing for shorter courses, intermittent dosing, or both.
The overarching goal of this study is to identify a generalizable approach to overcome current barriers to delivery of TPT in order to achieve high levels of TPT delivery during routine care in public clinics. Multiple approaches are in standard use to change prescribing behavior including in service training, audit and feedback, clinical mentoring, the use of clinical decision aids, and "academic detailing." However, the overall change is generally modest. To achieve a substantial increase in TPT delivery (from current approximately 20% to 60-80%) will require a fundamental change in the approach to selecting patients for TPT - a redesign of the choice architecture of TPT prescribing.
Methods: The investigators are proposing a choice architecture that makes prescribing TPT the "default" or standard option and that for TPT not to be prescribed…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 50,798 participants or records.
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