Meta-analysis of factors related to health services that predict treatment default by tuberculosis patients.

The identification of factors that predict tuberculosis (TB) treatment default can help control this problem. The current study used a systematic review to investigate associations between TB treatment default and previously studied factors related to health services. Abstracts were searched in the MEDLINE and LILACS databases and in the bibliography of the full texts under evaluation. Studies were included if TB treatment default was evaluated by comparing two or more groups and data could be extracted. A total of 41 studies were included for combining data. It was possible to combine five exposures: "difficult access to health services"; "need for hospitalization"; "training or support for adherence"; "delay in initiating treatment"; "long wait before medical attendance". "Difficult access to health services", "training or support for adherence", and "need for hospitalization" were associated with TB treatment default. All exposures demonstrated heterogeneity, which was only explained in one. Publication bias was only detected for one exposure.