Incentives and Support Programs to Improve Adherence to Tuberculosis Treatment

Key Messages

• Three overviews of reviews and 11 systematic reviews were identified regarding the clinical effectiveness of adherence incentives in those who require assistance to complete their tuberculosis treatment.
• Four evidence-based guidelines were identified that provided recommendations regarding the use of adherence incentives in those who require assistance completing their tuberculosis treatment.
• The reported clinical effectiveness of adherence incentives for patients with tuberculosis was mixed. There were no detrimental effects of providing incentives, but there was also no conclusive evidence pointing to a clinical benefit. The overall quality of the included reviews was moderate to high.
• The included guidelines recommended that incentives and enablers be included as a part of a patient-centred strategy for treatment and for patients with active tuberculosis or patients at high risk; however, the evidence formulating these recommendations was of low certainty or quality. Two of the included guidelines were of high methodological quality, and 2 were of lower methodological quality.