Joseph’s Other TB-Related Worries
TB patients have many concerns and fears other than the fear of deportation. In this country TB is most often a disease of the poor, socially marginalized, or unstably employed people [12]. Being asked to stay at home or remain in isolation at a hospital for long periods of time usually means a significant loss of income for anyone who does not have paid sick leave or disability or workers’ compensation benefits through an employer. Health departments do not compensate for lost income of TB patients, and the incentives that some health departments provide to promote treatment adherence are not sufficient to make up for lost income.
Joseph has a family of four and he is the principal breadwinner. Though he will have to forgo some income, his time away from work will depend on how fast his disease responds to treatment and the type of work he does [13, 14]. Someone like Joseph, who is working in an outdoor setting with little close human contact, can return to work while his sputum smear is still positive for AFB as long as he is improving clinically, has completed two weeks of treatment, and further treatment is ensured via DOT. Dr. Monroe may have to tell the worksite manager to assign Joseph to work that minimizes contact with others for a while. Since workers at the site will have been tested following the report of Joseph’s case to the health department, the manager should understand the necessity of the special assignment for Joseph.
Joseph should also be made aware of social services that he or his family may be eligible for, such as food pantries, WIC (women, infants, and children) programs, and soup kitchens. In some states emergency Medicaid will cover medical expenses that may not be provided by the health department. Inpatient care is usually covered by Medicaid, regardless of immigration status. Most infectious TB patients do not need to be hospitalized and have their full diagnosis and evaluation conducted as an outpatient.
Dr. Monroe has a responsibility to educate Joseph about the disease and what can be done to treat it and to develop a plan for follow-up and return to work. It is equally
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important for Dr. Monroe to make sure Joseph understands the impact of this disease on the public and his (Dr. Monroe’s) responsibility to the public, not just the patient. Dr. Monroe cannot shun that responsibility and, since it is unlikely that he can fulfill all the roles of patient care, contact evaluation, and social service provision, he must work closely with his local public health department to cure the patient and protect the community.