{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,21]],"date-time":"2025-02-21T18:40:41Z","timestamp":1740163241504,"version":"3.37.3"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"IOS Press","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011]]},"abstract":"Optimal use of limited human, technical and financial resources is a major concern for tuberculosis (TB) control in developing nations. Further impediments include a lack of trained physicians, and logistical difficulties in arranging face-to-face (f-2-f) TB Diagnostic Committee (TBDC) consultations. Use of e-Health for virtual TBDCs (Internet and &ldquo;iPath&rdquo;), to address such issues is being studied in the Philippines and Pakistan. In Pakistan, radiological diagnosis of 88 sputum smear negative but suspected TB patients has been compared with the &lsquo;gold standards&rsquo; (TB culture, and 2-month clinical follow up). Of 88 diagnostic decisions made by primary physicians at the spoke site and electronic TBDC (e-TBDC) at hub site, there was agreement in 71 cases and disagreement on 17 cases. The turn-around time (TAT; patient registration at spoke site for f-2-f diagnosis to receiving the electronic diagnosis), averaged 34.6 hours; ranging 9 minutes to 289.2 hours. Average TAT at the rural site (59.15 hours) was more than the urban site (15.9 hours). Comparison of e-TBDC and f-2-f diagnosis with the gold standards showed only slight differences. Using culture as the gold standard, e-TBDC decisions showed greater accuracy (sensitivity - 32.4%) as compared to f-2-f (27.6%); using 2-month clinical follow-up as the gold standard, f-2-f diagnosis showed slightly better improvement in patient symptoms and weight as compared to e-TBDC. In Philippines &ldquo;iPath&rdquo; was trialed and demonstrated that e-TBDCs have potential. Such groups could review cases, diagnose, and write comments remotely, reducing the diagnosis and treatment delay compared to usual care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3233\/978-1-60750-709-3-168","type":"book-chapter","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,21]],"date-time":"2025-02-21T17:07:49Z","timestamp":1740157669000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["An Online Method for Diagnosis of Difficult TB Cases for Developing Countries"],"prefix":"10.3233","author":[{"family":"Marcelo Alvin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Fatmi Zafar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Firaza Paul Nimrod","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Shaikh Shiraz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Dandan Alvin Joseph","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Irfan Muhammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Bari Vaqar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"family":"Scott Richard E.","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"7437","container-title":["Studies in Health Technology and Informatics","International Perspectives in Health Informatics"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,21]],"date-time":"2025-02-21T18:09:34Z","timestamp":1740161374000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.medra.org\/servlet\/aliasResolver?alias=iospressISSNISBN&issn=0926-9630&volume=164&spage=168"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3233\/978-1-60750-709-3-168","relation":{},"ISSN":["0926-9630"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0926-9630","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011]]}}}