Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the effect of video observed therapy (VOT) for tuberculosis patients’ management by internet and mobile phones.Methods By a prospective cohort study, 1174 pulmonary tuberculosis patients were registered and recruited for VOT management in Shenzhen Longhua Center for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC), from January 1st, 2017 to June 30th, 2018. The medicine records in system of VOT was selected and analyzed.Results During research period, 1301 patients were registered in Longhua CCDC, 90.2% (1174/1301) of the patients joined VOT management. Total medication times of patients in the study were 265.6 thousand, and the medication times uploaded in the system were 196.4 thousand (73.9%, 196400/265600). The number of patients whose uploaded medication rates in VOT system were divided into under 50%, 50%-, 90%-, 100% were 283 (24.1%, 283/1174), 256 (21.8%, 256/1174), 538 (45.8%, 538/1174), 97 (8.3%, 97/1174), respectively. The upload medication rates were significance different in the different groups of age and gender. The risk without upload medication regularly in male was higher 1.456 (1.130-1.876) than in female; the risk in over 40 age was higher 1.430 (1.130-1.811) than in under 40 age group.Conclusion Most pulmonary tuberculosis patients can accept and comply with VOT supervision as required. Additional training and guidance should be given to the age over 40 age or male patients undergoing VOT surveillance.

Key words: Tuberculosis,pulmonary, Medication adherence, Case management, Computer communication networks, Database management systems, Video observed therapy