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  • Patients' charter for TB care

    Learning Objectives
    • Understand the principles and rights outlined in the Patients' Charter for TB Care.
    • Learn about the responsibilities of TB patients and healthcare providers stated in the charter. 
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The Patients’ Charter for Tuberculosis Care (the Charter) outlines the rights and responsibilities of people with TB. It empowers people affected by TB and their communities through this knowledge. Initiated and developed by persons affected by TB from around the world, the Charter makes the relationship with healthcare providers a mutually beneficial one.

The Charter sets out ways in which people affected by TB, the community, health providers (both private and public), and governments can work as partners in a positive and open relationship with a view to improve TB care and enhance the effectiveness of the healthcare process. 

It allows for all parties to be held more accountable to each other, fostering mutual interaction and a positive partnership.

 

Principles of the Patients’ Charter for TB Care

  • The charter practices the principle of Greater Involvement of People with TB (GIPT).
  • This affirms that the empowerment of people with the disease is the catalyst for effective collaboration with health providers and authorities and is essential to victory in the fight to end TB.

 

Parts of the Patients’ Charter for TB Care

There are two main parts in the patients’ charter for TB care which cover:

  1. Patients’ rights 
  2. Patients’ responsibilities

These parts are further delineated in Tables 1 and 2 below.

 

Table 1: Patient's Rights According to the Patient's Charter for TB Care
Rights Explanation of rights: You, as the patient, have the right to:
Care
  • Free and equitable TB quality care meeting the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care (ISTC)
  • Benefit from community-care programmes
Dignity
  • Be treated with respect and dignity
  • Social support of the family, community and national programmes
Information
  • Information about available care services — be informed about condition and treatment, know drug names, dosage and side-effects
  • Access your medical records in the local language
  • Have peer support and voluntary counselling
Choice
  • A second medical opinion, with access to medical records
  • Refuse surgery if drug treatment is at all possible
  • Refuse to participate in research studies
Confidence
  • Have your privacy, culture and religious beliefs respected
  • Keep your health conditions confidential
  • Care in facilities that practice effective infection control
Justice
  • File a complaint about care, and have a response
  • Appeal unjust decisions to a higher authority
  • Vote for accountable local and national patient representatives
Organization
  • Join or organise peer support groups, clubs and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs)
  • Participate in policy-making in TB programmes
Security
  • Job security, from diagnosis through to cure
  • Food coupons or supplements, if required
  • Access to quality-assured drugs and diagnostics

 

Table 2: Patients' Responsibilities According to the Patients' Charter for TB Care
Responsibilities Explanation of responsibilities: You, the patient, have the responsibility to:
Share information
  • Inform healthcare staff all about your condition
  • Tell staff about your contacts with family, friends, etc.
  • Inform family and friends and share your TB knowledge
Contribute to community health
  • Encourage others to be tested for TB if they show symptoms
  • Be considerate of care providers and other patients
  • Assist family and neighbours to complete treatment
Follow treatment
  • Follow the prescribed plan of treatment
  • Tell staff of any difficulties with treatment
Solidarity
  • Show solidarity with all other patients
  • Empower yourself and your community
  • Join the fight against TB in your country

 

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Assessment 

Question​  Answer 1​  Answer 2​  Answer 3​  Answer 4​  Correct answer​  Correct explanation​  Page id​  Part of Pre-test​  Part of Post-test​ 
According to the Patients' Charter for TB Care, it is not the patient’s responsibility to support other patients. True False     According to the Patients' Charter for TB Care, patients have a responsibility to support other patients, show solidarity and empower their communities. ​  Yes Yes

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