Abstract:

Changqing District and Jiyang District of Ji’nan are the pilot sites of the “Study on the Applicability of the Use of Intelligent Electronic Pillboxes and Mobile WeChat App Management System for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients” conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. According to inclusion criteria, 60 newly registered primary active pulmonary tuberculosis patients with informed consent between September 1, 2017 and March 15, 2018 from tuberculosis designated hospital were sequentially included (20 patients used intelligent electronic kits (pillbox group), 10 cases used mobile WeChat APP (WeChat group) in each district. A 6-month prospective supervision medication management study was conduct, the use of intelligent electronic pillboxes and mobile WeChat APP for medication management, return visit and the follow up by medical staff were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that the overall medication rate and the rate of return visit of the electronic pill box group were significantly lower than those of the WeChat group (92.62% (3841/4147) vs. 96.59% (3281/3397), χ²=205.37, P=0.000; 94.59% (175/185) vs. 99.09% (109/110), χ²=3.89, P=0.049) although all the rates were high. It indicated that majority of the patients in the two groups had good compliance with medication and return visit, and data of WeChat group were better than those of pillbox group. The overall rate of follow up by medical staff were low in both two groups, and the rate in pillbox group was significantly lower than that in WeChat group (41.99% (139/331) vs.53.14% (110/207), χ²=6.37, P=0.012). The overall rate of follow up was poor and needed to be improved.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary, Patient care management, Computer communication networks, Patient compliance, Medication adherence, Outcome and process assessment (health care)