DRAFT REPORT OF THE DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED AT UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, LUSAKA - ZAMBIA

The assessment found that 72.2% of TB cases diagnosed were not reported, and patients were only notified of TB on discharge from the ward. The preliminary assessment was conducted on a small sample of 34 TB cases, and the findings were used to inform recommendations for improving the TB data collection and reporting system. The assessment found that the TB data collection and reporting system at UTH was inadequate, with duplicate records and missing patient details in registers. The review of the data revealed that the total cases in the registers included duplicate records, which potentially affected the validity of the data. The assessment also found that the TB patient information and addresses were not documented consistently, and the TB patients notified in the treatment registers but not found in the ward registers. The assessment identified several key findings, including: * 72.2% of TB cases diagnosed were not reported * Patients were only notified of TB on discharge from the ward * Duplicate records and missing patient details in registers * Inadequate TB data collection and reporting system * TB patient information and addresses were not documented consistently The assessment made several recommendations to improve the TB data collection and reporting system, including: * Extending the activity to all medical wards and service entry points * Updating the TB Presumptive Register with lab results and keeping records as and when tests are conducted * Devising a way of recording and counting all mortalities of patients diagnosed with TB in the wards and other service entry points * Undertaking a national DQA to assess under-reporting and capture missing data The assessment also identified several key variables in the TB data collection and reporting system, including: * Total patients diagnosed * Patients diagnosed clinically and tested positive to bacteriological lab tests * Outcomes of patients diagnosed * Patient information and addresses * Notification of patient outcomes in the treatment register The assessment found that the TB data collection and reporting system at UTH was inadequate, and several recommendations were made to improve the system. The recommendations included extending the activity to all medical wards and service entry points, updating the TB Presumptive Register, and devising a way of recording and counting all mortalities of patients diagnosed with TB.