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Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine logoLink to Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
. 2003 Sep;80(3):428–437. doi: 10.1093/jurban/jtg044

Impact of monetary incentives on adherence to referral for screening chest X-rays after syringe exchange-based tuberculin skin testing

David C Perlman 1,2,✉, Patricia Friedmann 2, Leslie Horn 1, Anne Nugent 2, Veronika Schoeb 1, Jeanne Carey 1, Nadim Salomon 1, Don C Des Jarlais 2
PMCID: PMC3455983  PMID: 12930881

Abstract

Introduction

Syringe-exchange programs (SEPs) have proven to be valuable sites to conduct tuberculin skin testing among active injection drug users. Chest x-rays (CXRs) are needed to exclude active tuberculosis prior to initiating treatment for latent tuberculosis infection. Adherence of drug users to referral for off-site chest x-rays has been incomplete. Previous cost modeling demonstrated that a monetary incentive to promote adherence could be justified on the cost basis if it had even a modest effect on adherence.

Methods

We compared adberence to referral for chest x-rays among injection drug users undergoing syringe exchange-based tuberculosis screening in New York City before and after the implementation of monetary incentives.

Results

From 1995 to 1998, there were 119 IDUs referred for CXRs based on tuberculin skin testing at the SEP. From 1999 to 2001, there were 58 IDUs referred for CXRs with a S25 incentive based on adherence. Adherence to CXR referral within 7 days was 46/58 (79%) among individuals who received the monetary incentive versus 17/119 (14%) prior to the implementation of the monetary incentive (P<.0001; odds ratio [OR]=23; 95% confidence interval [CI]=9.5-5.7). The median time to obtaining a CXR was significantly shorter among those given the incentive than among those referred without the incentive (2 vs. 11 days, P<.0001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, use of the incentive was highly independently associated with increased adherence (OR=22.9;95% CI=10–52).

Conclusions

Monetary incentives are highly effective in increasing adherence to referral for screening CXRs to exclude active tuberculosis after syringe exchangebased tuberculin skin testing. Prior cost modeling demonstrated that monetary incentives could be justified on the cost basis if they had even a modest effect on adherence. The current data demonstrated that monetary incentives are highly effective at increasing adherence in this setting and therefore are justifiable on a cost basis. When heath care interventions for drug users require referral off site, monetary incentives may be particularly valuable in promoting adherence.

Keywords: Adherence, Drug users, Incentives, Tuberculosis

Full Text

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Footnotes

This work was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (RO1-DA9005). None of the authors has any financial or other conflict with the contents of the manuscript.

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