Frontiers in Public Health (Mar 2023)

Digitizing tuberculosis treatment monitoring in Wuhan city, China, 2020–2021: Impact on medication adherence

  • Mengxian Zhang,
  • Guiyang Wang,
  • Hina Najmi,
  • Aashifa Yaqoob,
  • Aashifa Yaqoob,
  • Tao Li,
  • Yinyin Xia,
  • Jianjun Ye,
  • Shuangyi Hou,
  • Ye Xiao,
  • Liping Zhou,
  • Yuehua Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1033532
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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IntroductionDigital technologies can improve adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment. We studied the impact of digitizing TB treatment monitoring on adherence among TB patients in Wuhan, China, during 2020-2021.MethodsWe compared an electronic system introduced to monitor TB medication adherence (e-Patient Service System; e-PSS) with the p paper-based standard of care (TB Control Information System; TCIS) in terms of prescribed TB treatment doses taken by patients and patient outcome after six months of follow up. We designed a cross sectional study using retrospective data for all drug susceptible pulmonary TB patients recorded on both systems. The main indicators were: compliant first follow up visit (within 3 days of start of treatment); medication adherence (80% or more of monthly doses taken); and end of treatment success ratio.ResultsA total of 1,576 TB patients were recorded in TCIS in July September, 2020 and 1,145 TB cases were included in e-PSS in January March, 2021. The distribution of patient demographic and clinical features was similar between the two groups. A larger proportion from the e-PSS group visited the community doctor in the first three days compared with the TCIS group (48.91 versus 29. 76 % respectively). Medication adherence was also higher in the e-PSS group during the 6 months of treatment than in the TCIS group (84. 28 versus 80.3 3 % respectively). Treatment success was 92.52% in the e-PSS group and 92.07% in the TCIS group. Multivariate logistic regress ion analysis demonstrated that adjusted odds ratios for compliant first follow up visit, medication adherence and favorable treatment outcome in the e-PSS versus TCIS groups were 2.94 (95% 2.47 3.50), 1.33 (95% 1.08 1.63), and 1. 12 (95% CL: 0.79 1.57) respectively.DiscussionThis study revealed improvements in TB care following an intervention to monitor treatment digitally in patients in Wuhan, China.

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