Compliance with DOTS diagnosis and treatment recommendations by private practitioners in Kerala, India.

The Indian government has a national tuberculosis (TB) plan based on DOTS recommendations. The private health sector plays an increasing role in health care provision in India, and a public-private mix (PPM) project has been introduced to standardise TB diagnosis and treatment methods in Kerala, India. This study interviewed 45 private practitioners (PPs) to evaluate diagnostic, treatment and reporting practices, of whom 80% diagnose with sputum microscopy and 43% treat all of their patients according to the treatment regimens recommended by the DOTS strategy. This study demonstrates that the current management of TB by private practitioners in Kerala is still in need of improvement.