Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39405342›Full record

SynthesisPLoS neglected tropical diseases2024

Video-observed therapy (VOT) vs directly observed therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis treatment: A systematic review on adherence, cost of treatment observation, time spent observing treatment and patient satisfaction.

Thiago Areas Lisboa Netto, Bruna Dellatorre Diniz, Peter Odutola, Clara Rocha Dantas, Maria Carolina Fonseca Loureiro Caldeira de Freitas, Philip Michael Hefford, Taniela Marli Bes

Abstract readSystematic ReviewComparative Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Managing tuberculosis infection among migrants from high-incidence tuberculosis countries: challenges, strategies and recommendations.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Thiago Areas Lisboa NettoEvandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.ORCID 0009-0007-4524-9298
Bruna Dellatorre DinizWestern Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States of America.
Peter OdutolaHarvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Clara Rocha DantasUniversidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Maria Carolina Fonseca Loureiro Caldeira de FreitasUniversity of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
Philip Michael HeffordUniversity of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom.
Taniela Marli BesMetroWest Medical Center, Tufts University, Massachussets, United States of America.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTuberculosis (TB) treatment demands strict adherence to multidrug regimens. Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) poses challenges, especially regarding adherence. With the popularization of smartphones, Video-Observed Therapy (VOT) has emerged as a promising alternative, allowing healthcare providers to remotely supervise patients taking their medications via video calls.

objectivesThis systematic review critically assesses VOT's effectiveness compared to DOT, focusing on adherence, treatment costs, time spent supervising treatment, and patient satisfaction, aiming to optimize TB supervision methods worldwide.

methodsOnly studies that met the following criteria were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review: randomized trials; studies that compared VOT to DOT; studies involving patients diagnosed with pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis; studies that reported any of the desired outcomes; full-text articles available for review; and studies conducted in the English language. We excluded studies with the following attributes: studies that lacked a control group; case series or case reports; and previous systematic reviews. The search engines and databases MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane were used to find studies comparing Video-Observed Therapy (VOT) to Directly Observed Therapy (DOT). The following search phrases were used to look for papers that contained them in their title or abstract: ("Electronic Directly Observed Therapy" OR "Video-observed therapy" OR "Telemedicine" OR "Wirelessly observed therapy" OR "Smartphone-enabled video-observed") AND ("TUBERCULOSIS").

resultsA systematic review of the literature revealed the following findings: in all Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), video-observed therapy (VOT) demonstrated non-inferiority in terms of treatment adherence compared to traditional directly observed therapy (DOT); VOT reduced costs where these outcomes were assessed in the RCTs; the use of VOT reduced the amount of time healthcare professionals spent supervising treatment in RCTs evaluating this aspect; VOT contributed to higher treatment satisfaction in RCTs where this outcome was measured.

conclusionIn this systematic review we emphasize the importance of Video-Observed Therapy (VOT) in the digital age for patients that have access to internet. Our findings show that VOT is comparable to DOT in terms of treatment adherence, but it is also cost-effective, improves patient satisfaction and takes less time for healthcare professionals to supervise.

Indexed as

Directly Observed TherapyMedication AdherencePatient SatisfactionTuberculosisAntitubercular AgentsHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTelemedicineAntitubercular Agents

Identifiers

PMID39405342
PMCPMC11508048

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.