Evaluation of the VOT Among Tuberculosis Patients From Lambaréné (dotsapp)

Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné

Status: Completed

Conditions: Tuberculosis

Treatments: Other: VOT with and without cash incentive

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05865626

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Details and patient eligibility

About

This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of using an instant messenger to monitor drug intake in tuberculosis patients and to assess cash incentive to improve adherence to drug intake

Full description

At the initial visit, the inclusion criteria are cross-checked, the subject is informed of the study procedures, and an informed consent form is signed by subjects willing to participate.

For the participants from the intervention group, the research team will provide a smartphone with the WhatsApp application to each participant. At the initial visit, the research team will explain to the participants how to use the phone and the instant messenger application for the study. Briefly, the subject is filmed while taking the drug. This can be via a "selfie" or by a family member. The video is then sent to the study phone contact.

Once the video is received by an investigator, a message will be sent back to the participant's mobile phone acknowledging receipt of the video. An investigator trained on the DOT protocol, will review the video clips to assess if the drug was taken correctly or not. A daily log is filled in to keep track of drug intake for each participant.

Participants from both the control and intervention group are seen once per month in person for follow-ups and getting new drugs. At these time points information on drug intake is gathered.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Older than 18 years

• Signed informed consent form
• Living in an area with mobile phone coverage
• Have at least 3 months of treatment remaining

Exclusion criteria

• Not being able to use a smartphone and unlikely to learn how to

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 3 patient groups

VOT without cash incentive at the begining

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group start VOT without financial motivation. In the second part of their follow-up, VOT is combined with financial motivation.

Treatment:

Other: VOT with and without cash incentive

VOT with cash incentive at the begining

Experimental group

Description:

The participants in this group start the VOT with the financial motivation. In the second part of their follow-up, VOT is no longer associated with financial motivation

Treatment:

Other: VOT with and without cash incentive

Standard care

No Intervention group

Description:

The participants in this group self-administer the anti-tuberculosis treatment as is done routinely.