A strong focus on innovation & adherence
Interruption of TB treatment leads to poor treatment outcomes, resistant forms of TB and continuous transmission in the community. It is one of the major challenges facing TB eradication today. Traditionally, countries strictly employed health facility based Directly Observed Treatment (DOT), but this resource-straining approach has become outdated. New digital tools can enhance existing processes and employ a more patient-centered, data-driven approach. Scalable and affordable “digital adherence technologies” like Medication Event Monitor Systems (MEMS), the 99DOTS solution, and Video Supported Therapy (VOT) are acceptable to patients and providers, can inform approaches to differentiate care and guide overall case management, leading to improvement in treatment outcomes. To support the appropriate design and implementation of these adherence technologies, KNCV is working with partners to demonstrate these technologies in-country and develop an implementation package to guide global scale-up of these innovative digital solutions.
99DOTS: Low-cost innovation to empower patients
Pairing innovations in medication packaging with mobile phone technology, 99DOTS is an mHealth system that empowers patients to accurately report their daily treatment log their daily treatment adherence from the comfort of their own home. TB medication blister packs are repackaged in a low-cost, custom cardstock sleeve with a series of unpredictable hidden toll-free phone numbers that are revealed each time a patient takes their daily pill dose. The patient calls or texts (SMS) this number and their daily adherence is automatically logged on a secure dashboard accessible to their health care provider. This enables health care workers to target resources to patients most in need of support and also provides accurate, real-time adherence data to national programs for analysis and creation of improved patient approaches.