Limited value of annual tuberculosis symptom reminders for health care workers.

BACKGROUND (UK) National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence tuberculosis (TB) guidance (2006) recommends that occupational health services send annual TB symptom reminders to staff at increased risk of occupational TB exposure. AIMS To evaluate the effectiveness of annual TB symptom reminders. METHODS Retrospective analysis of returns from 4 years' annual TB symptom reminders compared with numbers of hospital staff diagnosed with active TB in the same time period. RESULTS There were 405 responses to symptom reminders received during the period studied that represented a response rate of 16%. None of the respondents declared TB symptoms. Twelve staff were diagnosed with active TB over the same period. From their work location, only two of these would have received TB symptom reminders according to local TB policy. CONCLUSIONS Annual TB symptom reminders as currently used result in little direct benefit.