Acceptability of rat-based diagnostic approach of tuberculosis among tuberculosis health care workers in

Abstract

Background: Since the start of rat-based TB diagnostic tool in Tanzania in 2008, detection of new TB cases has increased by around 40%. In this study we aimed at examining factors that may affect acceptability of the rat-based TB diagnostic tool among TB health care workers in health care facilities served by APOPO in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Materials and Method: This was a mixed method exploratory sequential study design. We used in-depth interviews (IDIs) and structured questionnaire to collect qualitative and quantitative data respectively. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using NVIVO software version 10 and Stata 14 respectively. Results: Twenty-five (56.8%) of participants aged between 18-34 years old and 26 (57.8%) were males. A total of 25 (55.6%) study participants showed higher levels of acceptability of the rats-based approach. Health care workers or personal factors score (perceived benefit and need, self-efficacy and skill proficiency on this new health innovation) was associated with acceptability having Odds ratio of 3.8 [95% CI: 1.0-14.2]. Through qualitative exploration, acceptability was motivated by support from their superior medical staffs, and relative advantages of the tool like fastness, and quality of the results. Issues found to be negatively associated with acceptability of the rat-based approach included lack of clear policy from specific government authority, limited patient awareness, inability of the rats to quantify concentration of TB bacteria, and failure to predict the resistance to the available drugs. Conclusion: This study provides critical information that can guide policy makers to expand and integrate this new innovation into the current TB diagnostic algorithm