Effect of Peer-led Educational Intervention on Treatment Outcomes Among Adults With Drug-susceptible Pulmonary Tuberculosis in South Omo and Ari Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Effect of Peer-led Educational Intervention on Treatment Outcomes Among Adults With Drug-susceptible Pulmonary Tuberculosis in South Omo and Ari Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Protocol for a Cluster- Randomized Controlled Trial Study

The study might come up with valuable findings to address poor treatment outcome, poor quality of life, disability score and depressive symptoms. The findings may also be decreased health professional workload. The findings would be supportive evidences for policy makers, program managers, to clinician as well as the patients themselves and for other researchers. The study may help to promote and maintain good treatment outcome for the patients in the study area as well as the country. The findings will also be used for teaching & learning purposes in educational & training programs.

Peer-led education is an effective approach in improving knowledge and attitude. It is also helpful to reach specific marginalized populations, to reduce social stigma and to enhance adherence by improving behavioral outcomes since behaviour is socially influenced and behavioral norms are developed through social interaction. Peers are underused resources for strengthening TB control and prevention because they have a unique power to support socially excluded patients through sharing their personal experience, to affirm previous beliefs and intentions, and to inspire future opportunities. Peers are more preferred than TB focal persons because they act as a friend, as an educator, as an activist, as a role model and as a team member but TB focal persons act only as an educator. So, this manual is organized to improve knowledge and attitude towards tuberculosis, to reduce social stigma and to strengthen TB control and prevention strategies

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults with new drug-susceptible pulmonary TB who will be diagnosed in bacteriological diagnostic methods
• not participating in similar study,
• mentally capable to provide consent,
• physically capable of following the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Seriously ill patients at the time of screening or enrollment
• Tuberculosis patients with a known plan to be transferred out of the study sites