Volume 30, Number 1—January 2024
Research
Costs of Digital Adherence Technologies for Tuberculosis Treatment Support, 2018–2021
Ntwali Placide Nsengiyumva, Amera Khan, Maricelle Ma. Tarcela S. Gler, Mariecef L. Tonquin, Danaida Marcelo, Mark C. Andrews, Karine Duverger, Shahriar Ahmed, Tasmia Ibrahim, Sayera Banu, Sonia Sultana, Mona Lisa Morales, Andre Villanueva, Egwumo Efo, Baraka Onjare, Cristina Celan, and Kevin Schwartzman
Table 1
Implementation projects and participants in study of costs of digital adherence technologies for tuberculosis treatment support*
| Country | DAT | Organization | Project description | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh |
99DOTS† |
icddr,b |
Implementation of 99DOTS in private sector TB screening and treatment centers established by icddr,b under its social enterprise model in Dhaka |
719 adults with DS-TB (mean age 34 y, SD 27) enrolled in the project, April 2019–July 2020. |
| Philippines |
99DOTS |
KNCV |
A project to assess 99DOTS use in the private sector in the Philippines, where data suggest that 50% of patients in the country seek care |
396 adults (>15 y) with DS-TB enrolled on 99DOTS at 3 private clinics based in metro Manila area, December 2018–June 2020. |
| Tanzania |
99DOTS |
KNCV |
The project involved mining communities in Tanzania in 4 rural districts using 99DOTS with SMS-targeted educational messages and reminders. Patient dosing histories were used for counseling and for differentiated care (more intensive patient management) |
976 adult miners (>15 y) with DS-TB from 11 public health facilities recruited at treatment initiation or during medication refill. 22 DOT nurses and 11 community health workers were engaged in the project, February 2019–June 2020. |
| Haiti |
VOT |
Health through Walls, Inc. |
A project using VOT to improve TB treatment adherence and outcomes for current and former prisoners in Haiti |
87 incarcerated persons with DS-TB enrolled in the project, February 2019–February 2020. The project used a commercial VOT platform. |
| The Philippines |
VOT |
Hermano (San) Miguel Febres Cordero Medical Education Foundation, Inc |
A pilot study to determine feasibility and acceptability of VOT in a high-burden, resource constrained DR-TB clinic in the Philippines, where smartphone penetration is moderate and growing |
110 adolescents and adults (>13 y) with DR-TB enrolled to use VOT at 6 DR-TB clinics. Everyone received a smartphone with the VOT application pre-installed and with SIM cards, December 2018–June 2021. The project used a commercial VOT platform. |
| Moldova | VOT | Centre for Health Policies and Studies | A pilot project to scale up a locally developed VOT application | 173 adults with DS-TB and 135 adults with DR-TB enrolled on a locally developed VOT platform, April 2020–June 2021. |
*Numbers indicate participants in the costing exercise; the overall parent study might have had more participants. CHW, community health worker; DAT, digital adherence technology; DR-TB, drug-resistant TB; DS-TB, drug-susceptible TB; KNCV, Koninklijke Nederlandse Centrale Vereniging tot bestrijding der Tuberculose; TB, tuberculosis; VOT, video-observed therapy; VST, video-supported therapy; SMS,short message service. †https://www.99dots.org.
Page created: October 31, 2023
Page updated: December 20, 2023
Page reviewed: December 20, 2023
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.