Infection and Drug Resistance (Dec 2023)

eDOTS: Improving the Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Xinjiang, China

  • Guo G,
  • Zheng Y,
  • Ma X,
  • Sun L,
  • Wushouer Q,
  • Jia B,
  • Yusufu M,
  • Wen S,
  • Abudureyimu T,
  • Peng X,
  • Liu Z,
  • Mamut X,
  • Chen Y,
  • Zhang J,
  • Yang Y,
  • Huangfu L,
  • Li J,
  • Zhang W

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 7497 – 7505

Abstract

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Gang Guo,1,2,* Yanling Zheng,3,* Xuexian Ma,4 Li Sun,5 Qimanguli Wushouer,1 Bin Jia,1 Muladier Yusufu,5 Shu Wen,6 Tuerhong Abudureyimu,6 Xiaowang Peng,6 Zhenjiang Liu,6 Xirizat Mamut,6 Yanggui Chen,7 Jian Zhang,8 Yuling Yang,9 Liusheng Huangfu,9 Jun Li,1 Wenbao Zhang1 1State Key Laboratory Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asian, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China; 2Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Medical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China; 4Shache People’s Hospital, Shache, People’s Republic of China; 5Yingjisha County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yingjisha, People’s Republic of China; 6Kashgar Regional Lung Hospital, Kashgar, People’s Republic of China; 7Urumqi Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China; 8High-Tech District Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Urumqi, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China; 9Xinhuarui Information Co., LTD, Urumqi, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wenbao Zhang, Tel +86 15276692787, Email [email protected]: To increase pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) treatment adherence in Xinjiang Region, an electronic DOTS (eDOTS) system developed was applied and evaluated.Methods: An eDOTS system comprised electronic medicine boxes, mobile phones and a central processing platform. Between April and June 2016, persons with active PTB (PAPTB) were recruited from villages and a city and were prescribed a six-month course of antibiotics using either DOTS or eDOTS. Treatment adherence rate and chest X-ray digital radiography (DR) score were used to evaluate usefulness of eDOTS.Results: A total 167 PAPTB were recruited with 81 participants from villages and 86 from neighbourhoods. Of the 81 village patients, 43 (53%) used eDOTS and 38 (47%) used DOTS. Among the 86 patients from neighbourhoods, 50 (58%) used eDOTS and 36 (42%) used DOTS. After 6 months of treatment, the average treatment compliance of the village patients who used eDOTS were 47.0%± 20.5% compared to 26.7%± 21.1% who used DOTS (t=− 4.475, p< 0.001). The patients using eDOTS from both the villages and city had significantly lower X-ray DR scores than the patients using DOTS by 1.81 points, 95% CI (0.72– 2.90) and 1.05 points, 95% CI (0.15– 1.95), respectively.Conclusion: eDOTS is an effective means of managing the treatment of active PTB patients through daily reminding and monitoring of patient compliance. Ease of contact with doctors and special education programs encouraged PAPTB to complete their treatment course as required.Keywords: tuberculosis, infection, drug treatment, prevention/control program

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