Despite the modern medical advances we have today, more persons died of tuberculosis last year than did a century ago, when we didn't even know what caused it. A few years ago, everyone thought TB would disappear. It hasn't. Data suggests we need to re-learn tuberculosis. This proposal is intended to fulfill three specific aims: I) To introduce a comprehensive, practical Tuberculosis education curriculum at the university of Florida. A multidimensional instructional program for health professionals on """"""""TB and HIV-Related Issues"""""""" which I have developed and field-tested will be introduced to medical students, nursing students, nurse practitioner students, faculty and housestaff. II) To assess, contribute, and facilitate knowledge of tuberculosis to physicians and other health providers in the community. Florida physicians will be polled via a TB knowledge assessment survey, and given feedback and information on TB. In addition, the above TB curriculum will be promoted via the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) network, and with the endorsement of the American Lung Association of Florida (ALAF), administered to health providers and hospital infect ion control professionals with incentives for continuing medical education. Review articles on TB will be submitted to Florida medical and nursing journals, and a coalition will be forged with the ALAF to promote innovative ideas on TB education. By accessing on-line data bases, a bi-annual TB newsletter will be developed and distributed. III) To develop socio-culturally and ethnically sensitive educational audiovisual materials on various aspects of tuberculosis in English, Spanish and Haitian creole. The materials will be aimed at African- American, Hispanic and Haitian populations who are at high risk for tuberculosis. Minority premedical and health education students will participate in developing these. We will target underserved areas via the AHEC-Health Education Training Centers network, and via public service access on radio and TV. The impact of the curriculum will be assessed by pre and post testing, and by program evaluation. The overall concept although tailored to specific TB needs of Florida, is expandable and adaptable to more global educational needs.
| Gonzalez-Rothi, R J (1998) Examining the biology of tuberculosis. Curr Opin Pulm Med 4:154-61 |
