Table 3 Description of included studies

Liu 2010⁸

2007

163

Chongqing Sichuan

4 counties in each province

8 mixed income,

All free

Patient survey

Reported cost in previous month on TB drugs and tests

Postgraduate students

●

Zhan 2004⁹

2000-2001

257

Shandong Jiangsu

Counties

3 middle,

1 free 2 not free

Patient survey

Reported total medical cost per treatment

Health staff

●

Meng 2004¹⁰

2000

312

Shandong

Counties

2 middle income,

2 poor: All free

Patient survey

Reported total medical annual cost per TB patient

Medical students and health staff

●

Liu 2007¹⁴

2004

889

Fujian Henan Liaoning Xinjiang

3 counties in each province

12 poor,

All free

Patient survey

Reported direct household cost per treatment

Health staff from non-TB system and university students

●

Huang 2009¹⁶

2007

100

Hunan

Counties

10 unknown,

All free

Patient survey

Reported total medical cost per treatment

Unknown

●

Xu 2006¹⁵

2002-2003

465

Jiangsu

Counties

2 middle income,

1 free 1 not free

Longitudinal: 4 interviews per patient ^b

1. Reported total medical cost for treatment 2. Non-adherence rate

TB specialist

●

●

Xu 2010¹³

2008

501

Shandong

Counties

6 mixed income,

All free

Patient survey

1. Reported annual household medical cost in household with TB patient 2. Non-adherence rate

Independent investigator with help of TB staff

●

●

Zhang 2007¹²

2002

182

Whole of rural China

N-A

N-A

Patient survey

1. Reported annual household medical cost in household with TB patient 2. Influence of charging on treatment

Township health workers

●

●

Jackson 2006¹¹

2002-2005

160

Henan

Counties

4 mixed income,

All free

Longitudinal: 2 interviews per patient ^c

1. Reported total medical cost per completed treatment 2. Non-adherence rate 3. Influence of charging on treatment

TB specialist

●

●

●

Wang 2007¹⁸

2006

130

Yunnan

Counties

10 mixed income,

All free

Patient survey

Non-adherence rate

Village doctors and local CDC staff

●

Wang 2009²¹

2004-2007

607

unknown

Counties

2 high income,

All free

Patient survey

Non-adherence rate

Independent investigator

●

NESS-TB 2002^17d

2000

1278 ^e

Whole of China

N-A

N-A

Patient survey

1. Non-adherence rate 2. Influence of charging on adherence

unknown

●

●

Hu 2008¹⁹

2004

405

Chongqing

Counties

4 mixed income,

2 free 2 not free

1. Patient survey 2. In-depth interview

1. Non-adherence rate 2. Influence of charging on adherence

Postgraduate students

●

●

Xu 2009²⁰

2006

670

Jiangsu

Counties

13 mixed income,

All free

1. Patient survey 2. In-depth interview

1. Non-adherence rate 2. Influence of charging on adherence

TB staff

●

●

Ai 2010²²

2006-2007

659

Shaanxi

Counties

30 poor,

All free

Patient survey

1. Non-adherence rate 2. Influence of charging on adherence

Unknown

●

●

Sun 2007²³

2004-2005

473

Jiangsu

County

1 unknown,

Free

Longitudinal: 3 interviews at 2^nd, 5^th treatment month and treatment completion

1. Non-adherence rate 2. Influence of charging on adherence

TB staff

●

●

Xu 2004²⁴

unknown

30

Jiangsu

Counties

2 middle income,

1 free 1 not free

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)

Influence of charging on adherence

Researcher and postgraduate students

●