Continuity of care for tuberculosis patients reported in CureTB review.

CDC reviewed CureTB referrals from 2016–2023 and found 6,944 referral requests, including 2,404 for confirmed TB, and reported that 1,379 of 1,741 referred patients (79%) completed treatment within 12 months.

CDC reviewed outcomes from the CureTB referral program for 2016–2023 to assess continuity of care for people diagnosed with tuberculosis who relocate between countries. The program gathers contact and clinical information and sends referrals to public health authorities at patients' destinations to support continued treatment. This update summarizes referral volumes and treatment completion among patients with confirmed TB. Key findings: - During 2016–2023, CureTB received 6,944 referral requests; 3,912 (56%) were for suspected TB and 2,404 (35%) for confirmed TB. - For patients diagnosed with TB who had referral requests, CureTB completed 1,741 referrals (72%), and most referred patients (93%) were relocating to other countries rather than within the United States. - Among the 1,741 referred patients, 1,379 (79%) completed treatment within 12 months; completion rates were higher when care was initiated sooner after departure. Summary: The review reports that a substantial share of referred patients completed treatment within a year and that more timely linkage to care was associated with higher completion rates. Undetermined at this time.