Hotspot outreach versus clinic screening to find tuberculosis in Uganda
Hotspot versus clinic-based active case finding for TB in Uganda: A pragmatic randomized trial
This project compares two ways of finding people with tuberculosis in Ugandan communities—targeted outreach in high-risk hotspots or screening at clinics—to find and help people who may not know they have TB.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291229 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of work that sends teams into selected high-risk neighborhoods (hotspots) or offers extra screening at clinics to find people with undiagnosed TB. Mobile chest X-rays read with AI and follow-up diagnostic tests would be used to identify TB quickly. People found to have TB would be offered treatment and others who are eligible could be offered short-course preventive therapy. The project randomly assigns communities or clinics to the two approaches and tracks which method finds more TB and links people to care and prevention.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living in the participating Ugandan communities or visiting the participating clinics, especially those with TB symptoms or known exposure to TB.
Not a fit: People who live outside the selected study areas, are already on TB treatment, or have conditions unrelated to TB are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could find more people with undiagnosed TB sooner and expand access to preventive therapy, lowering illness and transmission in the community.
How similar studies have performed: Previous active case-finding efforts in Vietnam and Zimbabwe showed that intensive outreach can reduce TB burden, and this project builds on that by adding mobile X-rays, AI reading, and linkage to preventive therapy.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kendall, Emily a — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Kendall, Emily a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.