Analysis the effectiveness of case management information system for tuberculosis patients

Tuberculosis (TB) known as a common lethal infectious disease with the highest mortality worldwide equivalent to AIDS is a key task to the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the statistics compiled by the WHO, there were more than 8,900,000-9,000,000 new cases and 2,000,000 cases perishing worldwide in 2008; that is, there are 2 billion cases of TB around the world, i.e. there is a new case per second and a case perishing per 10-15 seconds [1]. Thence, it is crucial to build a holistic caring network for TB cases with advanced medical quality via information technology. Information technology renders e-databases in medical institutions and hospitals for advanced medical quality and reduced cost. In Taiwan, the effect of the Statutory Infectious Diseases Surveillance System (SIDSS) having been implemented for 9 years was never tested; thereupon, the researcher assessed the effect of TB case management information system (TB-CMIS) via a longitude questionnaires survey that purposively sampled 132 patients of open TB and 131 public health nurses (including 31 DOTS observers) as the subject. The views of professional managers on behavior, attitude and knowledge were assessed to conclude the discrepancy between the public health nurses as managers and the TB patients as self managers for improvement on the medical side as well as the references to the competent authorities.