Abstract: Objective To investigate the feasibility of telephone supervision in Hunan TB control by the comparison of the effects between telephone supervision and traditional supervision to smear positive pulmonary TB.  Objective Four counties, which were obtained by a cluster random sampling method, were random divided into three experimental groups and a control group. Three experimental groups were treated with telephone supervision by the county and village physicians (Group 1), the county physician alone (Group 2), or the village physicians alone (Group 3), respectively. The control group was treated with traditional supervision. 546 cases were enrolled in this study. 173 124 and 160 cases were in three experimental groups, respectively; while 89 in the control group. Of all patients enrolled were followed up for one year. Sample radio and composing analysis of the main parameters of four groups were tested by χ² test. Results Compared to the control group 82.0%（73/89） the cure rate of Group 1 (94.2%，163/173) increased significantly (χ²=10.052, P<0.05); the non-regular medicine-taking rate of Group 1 (1.2%,2/173) was obviously lower than the control group (11.2%,10/89) (χ²=16.120, P<0.05); and compared to the control group (18.0%，16/89), the non-regular reexamination rate of Group 2 (5.6%，7/124) decreased markedly (χ²=9.153, P<0.05). Conclusion Telephone supervision of pulmonary TB patients are urged to improve TB medication compliance, so it could be widely used in Hunan TB control.

Key words: Tuberculosis pulmonary/drug therapy, Patient compliance, Patient care manogement, Telephone, Hunan province