Health worker views on pre-treatment loss to follow-up in adults with pulmonary TB in Western Kenya

SETTING: County referral hospital in Western Kenya. OBJECTIVES: To explore factors contributing to pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) in adults with pulmonary TB and propose solutions to address PTLFU from healthcare worker (HCW) perspectives. DESIGN: This was an exploratory qualitative study using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We conducted 19 key informant interviews with HCWs representing laboratory, clinical care, management and the community. Participant age ranged from 26 to 62 years; 14 (74%) were females; and most (74%) had worked in TB care for ⩽5 years. They reported that patients experienced stigma and had misconceptions about TB that contributed to PTLFU. HCWs were hesitant to work in the TB clinic, which contributed to suboptimal patient care, leading to PTLFU. Unclear linkage between laboratory and clinician, and limited financial resources to track patients were among the healthcare system factors that led to PTLFU. HCWs suggested having proper patient preparation, assigning resources to track patients and holding regular interdisciplinary meetings as practical solutions to address PTLFU. CONCLUSION: HCWs reported multiple factors that may influence PTLFU and recommended various solutions to address these. Knowledge of TB management, patient preparation, resources to track patients and multidisciplinary meetings will be central to addressing PTLFU.