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The concept of Patient Turnaround Time (P-TAT) is to find out how much time was taken from the identification of the patient for a test to getting the result of that test and initiation of patient's treatment based on the test result.

 

The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) have set benchmarks to monitor the P-TAT as provided in the table below. 

 

Programme officers/ staff needs to ensure that the P-TAT relative to the laboratory technology used, should be well within the minimum acceptable timeline as detailed in this table to improve patient treatment outcomes.

 

Table: P-TAT from identification to treatment initiation relative to the laboratory technology used; Source: Guidelines for PMDT, India 2021, p103.
TECHNOLOGY PRE-LAB TAT IN DAYS* LAB TAT IN DAYS** POST-LAB TAT IN DAYS*** TOTAL PATIENT TAT IN DAYS
NAAT 1-2 1-2 2-3 4-7
LPA 1-3 2-3 2-3 5-9
LC-DST# NA Time till LPA testing – 5-7 days + @22-48 (in most cases 30 days) 2-3 29-58 (in most cases 40 days)
LC for follow up 2-3 days (for tracing patient and collecting specimen) 8-42 1-2 11-45

* Pre-lab TAT for Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) includes time from patient identification, counselling, collection and transport of 2 specimens to NAAT facility. Pre-lab TAT for Line Probe Assay (LPA) and Liquid Culture - Drug Susceptibility Testing (LC-DST) includes time from collection to NAAT and further transport of the second specimen to Culture and Drug Susceptibility Testing (C&DST) labs.

** Lab TAT includes the time from specimen receipt to results by technology.

***Post-lab TAT includes time from accessing test results, pre-treatment evaluation to treatment initiation.

# For Pyrazinamide DST, additional 7 days will be needed.

Includes culture and growth days for DST set-up.

Fresh samples are collected from the patient and transported for follow-up on liquid culture.

       

 

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