Assessment of TB Patient's Educational Needs by Focus Group Discussion (FGD) in Sistan, Iran

To improve the health status of a community, in addition to health services, active participation of people receiving these services, is essential and for this participation, appropriate knowledge requires. Sistan region is one of the important centers as TB in the country. Therefore, identification of TB patients educational needs, requires determination of effective factors for increasing their knowledge.This qualitative study of focus group discussion (FGD) with the participation of 48 persons, including 4 groups of men and 4 groups of women from TB patients, have been carried out in 8 sessions. In order to determine the problems of diagnosis, treatment, screening, interaction of relatives, the sense of TB patients about their disease and to provide strategies for disease control, opinion of health care workers and patients were evaluated.The results show that dealing with TB patients in the two sexes are different, so that females are more susceptible to depression and mental illness, also the patients, family and relatives have less communication with TB patients. Patients try to hide their disease for fear of stigma. Unanswered question in many minds is whether TB is curable or not? Environmental factors, genetic tendency, social, cultural and economic factors and the lack of information in the residents of this region, are the most important problems which health care workers present.Most participants in this study emphasize the need for training. The revision of educational contents and to find proper solutions for the innate response to the needs of TB patients are necessary.