What an entry-level health worker is expected to know about TB

The Self-Study Modules on Tuberculosis, 1–5 are five modules, an
introduction and a glossary, written for people with **no background in
tuberculosis**. Prerequisites: none.

The learning objectives are worth reading on their own, because they are a
statement of what the baseline is — what someone who works with TB patients is
expected to be able to do before anything specialised begins.

The objectives

At the end of this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Explain three differences between latent TB infection and TB disease
• **List three groups of people who are at higher risk for exposure to or
  infection with M. tuberculosis**
• Describe two methods of testing for M. tuberculosis infection
• **Identify three possible side effects of the drugs used to treat latent TB
  infection**
• **Identify three possible side effects of the drugs used to treat TB
  disease**
• Describe the role of the health department in infection control
• **Identify three ways that this educational activity will improve their
  contribution as a team member**

The one that comes first

Latent TB infection and TB disease heads the list, and that ordering is
deliberate: nearly everything else depends on it. They have **separate drug
regimens** — the objectives ask about the side effects of each separately
— and someone who does not hold the distinction cannot follow the rest.

Who it is for

**Health care workers such as outreach workers, nurses, physicians,
administrators, and students**, from **TB programmes, managed care
organisations, homeless shelters, migrant clinics, substance abuse facilities,
nursing and medical schools, and other facilities serving people with or at
risk for TB.**

The settings list is the more revealing half. Homeless shelters, migrant
clinics and substance abuse facilities are where TB is encountered, and the
staff there are the intended audience alongside physicians — which is why the
course assumes nothing.

Practical details

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.