A Study on the Role of Mobile Phone Communication in Tuberculosis DOTS Treatment.
A Study on the Role of Mobile Phone Communication in Tuberculosis DOTS Treatment.
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DOI：
10.4103/0970-0218.120158
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发表时间：
2013-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Arulchelvan, S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Elangovan, R;Arulchelvan, S
背景技术背景：每年，许多结核病（TB）患者在印度南部结核病高发区之一的塞勒姆市接受短期直接观察治疗（DOTS）。这些患者和卫生工作者使用移动的电话很普遍。移动的电话通信在结核病治疗中有很大的潜力。目的：分析移动的电话在结核病DOTS治疗中的使用情况及其有效性。材料与方法：对150例结核病患者进行横断面调查，然后与治疗监督者、DOTS提供者和卫生工作者进行焦点小组讨论。大多数患者使用移动的电话给卫生工作者打电话，以澄清他们对副作用，食物和疾病症状的疑虑。结核病治疗监督员有效地使用移动的电话来劝告病人坚持治疗方案。患者将移动的电话视为结核病治疗中有用的沟通工具，尽管他们更喜欢与卫生工作者直接进行人际沟通。虽然结核病患者中有68%的人拥有移动的，但他们中的许多人不会用英语发短信或阅读短信。结论：结核病患者中移动的的拥有和使用率较高。患者需要接受培训，以使用移动的电话功能，如报警、语音邮件和交互式语音响应。免费通话时间和短信息服务（SMS）等激励措施将鼓励患者经常与卫生工作者沟通，从而增加更好地坚持DOTS的机会。短信服务可以区域语言提供。
BACKGROUND: Every year, a lot of Tuberculosis (TB) patients undergo Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) in Salem city, one of the high TB districts in South India. Mobile phone usage among these patients and health workers is common. Mobile phone communication has a great potential in TB treatment.OBJECTIVES: To analyze the mobile phone usage and its effectiveness in TB DOTS treatment.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey with 150 TB patients was followed by a focus group discussion with treatment supervisors, DOTS providers, and health workers.RESULTS: Majority of patients use mobile phones to make calls to health workers to clarify their doubts on side effects, food, and symptoms of the disease. TB treatment supervisors effectively use mobile phones to counsel patients to adhere to the treatment regimen. Patients see mobile phones as a useful communication tool in TB treatment though they prefer direct interpersonal communication with health workers. Though the mobile ownership is 68% among the TB patients, many of them are not able to send text messages or read messages in English.CONCLUSION: Mobile phone possession and usage is high among the patients. Patients need to be trained to use mobile phone features such as alarm, voice mail, and interactive voice response. Incentives like free talk time and short message service (SMS) will encourage patients to communicate frequently with health workers, thereby, increasing the chances of better adherence to DOTS. SMS could be made available in the regional languages.