ArticlePLOS global public health2024
Factors related to the utilization of digital adherence technologies in tuberculosis care: A qualitative study among adults in DS-TB treatment, health care providers and other key actors in Tanzania.
Article in PLOS global public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Process Evaluation of Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Trials of Digital Adherence Technologies for Tuberculosis Treatment Support: A Mixed-Method Study in Five Countries.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Numerous challenges, such as lengthy treatment course, side effects, and distance to healthcare facilities contribute to suboptimal Tuberculosis (TB) treatment completion. Digital adherence technologies (DATs), such as smart pillboxes and medication labels, could be an alternative to facilitate TB treatment continuation. In-depth interviews with people undergoing treatment for drug susceptible TB, health care providers (HCPs) and other key actors were conducted to evaluate their experiences with DATs in ten health facilities across four different regions in Tanzania. This study is part of a multi country cluster randomized trials conducted under the ASCENT consortium. Interviews were conducted with a total of 41 individuals, 19 people with TB and 22 HCPs and key actors. One of the main findings indicates that participants found that the daily reminders provided by the DATs, particularly the alarm from the smart pillboxes, helped in supporting treatment continuation and establishing a routine around medicine intake. DATs use was linked with reducing the financial burden of treatment, improving people with TB-HCPs relationship, and decreasing workload for HCPs. Although DATs were generally perceived as reliable, occasional technical malfunctions, such as battery depletion in smart pillboxes, were reported. The requirement of having access to a cellphone and a power source emerged as specific barriers for medication label users. This study highlights the initial willingness and sustained enthusiasm for using DATs among respondents. DATs were perceived as useful tools, aiding individuals with treatment continuation through daily reminders and fostering stronger connections with HCPs. Nevertheless, issues such as poor network connectivity and the need for access to a working cellphone posed difficulties in usage. Findings from this study suggest the potential for improvements in the technologies and indicate that a thorough assessment of people's life conditions and needs prior to treatment initiations is important to determine the suitability of providing a DAT.
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Registered trials
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