TB in The Immigrant Population - Aoi Mizushima

Vision/ Realistic Ideal

I would like to better understand the barriers people encounter when there are immigrants (especially from Mexico & Latin America) to this country and what they face when they get a positive PPD. I would like to gather together a small "TB forum" at the end of the end of my project to connect all the players in the area so that everyone can have his input I and can better understand what issues are at hand.

Describe the Problem

Although TB amongst US born citizens is decreasing, the incidence of TB is still increasing amongst foreign born immigrants (especially from third-world countries). Because of the continued influx of immigrants to the US and the link to potential TB outbreaks among these immigrant population, there has been an increased push toward finding out who is PPD-positive and starting a prophylaxis right away. With the increased TB screening programs put into place in several cities across the country, there are more immigrants who are discovering that they are PPD positive. The issue Iım interested in is evaluating the immigrant/ TB issue here in Madison. Although I think that screening is valuable and necessary to uncover TB cases early, I wonder if there is perhaps another important issue being overlooked here: "What is the patientıs perspective?" Do the people getting screened really understand the next steps involved if they are diagnosed PPD positive? How does cultural belief and prior experiences play into them receiving the care they need? What about the cost of the patient?

Project Goals & Tasks:

  • Come up with a list of interview questions
  • Find people to interview and interview them
  • Make more contacts in the community to discuss the project
  • Read more background articles from the Lit. search
  • Meet with Rob Savage from Department of PH.

Critical Factors for Success

  • Get support from others in the community
  • Get the patientsı stories through interviews

If you are interested in getting involved with this project or you want more information please contact Aoi Mizushima at anmizush@students.wisc.edu

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İ 2003 University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine