The Development of a Comprehensive Health Care Program for Patients with Active Tuberculosis

Concepts basic to effective medical care evolved from the development of a comprehensive health service program for patients with tuberculosis. The key to success was found in a basic philosophy underlying all interpersonal relationships-the conviction that all men are equal. This philosophy then became the motivating force behind the creation of a functioning multidisciplinary team in which there was developed a freedom of relationships between each team member, and between team members and patients. The effectiveness of this approach in comprehensive medical care was illustrated by examples of special services and programming which were designed to reach all levels of the patient population, including hard core problem patients