AdhereTB Georgia

Video Surveillance Therapy (VOT) for patients with tuberculosis

Patients with tuberculosis are provided free of charge within the framework of the program, but after enrollment they have to go to a medical facility 6 days a week and receive medication under the direct supervision of a nurse - Directly Observed Therapy (DOT). Delivery of medication to a patient is not possible due to the specifics of the disease because the health care professional must make sure that the patient has indeed received the medication, otherwise an even more severe form of the disease may develop.

International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), STOP-TB Partnership, etc. to solve this problem and simplify the treatment process for patients or medical staff. Video Observed Therapy (VOT) is recommended, which is widely used in many countries around the world and is one of the main methods of patient care, as it allows both TB patients and health care providers to save time, finances and make the treatment process more comfortable.

One of the main challenges of the national TB strategy in Georgia was the number of patients missing from surveillance. Research has shown that the direct monitoring mechanism was inconvenient for patients who are employed and / or have to travel long distances to receive these services. Therefore, a simple, mobile video surveillance therapy app was recommended that would give the provider the same high level of confidence that the patient received the medication as the direct surveillance therapy - DOT mechanism. Accordingly, in 2017, LEPL "L. Ordered by the Sakvarelidze National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, by Leavingstone Ltd., the program "Ensuring Sustainability of Quality in the Diagnosis and Universal Access to All Forms of Tuberculosis" and the fight against HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) The GEO-T-NCDC grant has created a mobile application for video surveillance therapy (VOT).

Through the AdhereTB Georgia mobile app, a patient only has to visit a medical facility once a week, where he or she receives a week-long supply of medication, and then sends a medication video daily to the provider, reducing patient travel costs and allowing the patient to receive medication at any time of the day. It also makes the work of medical staff more flexible and efficient.

Since 2018, up to 900 patients have already used the app, and up to 300 patients are currently undergoing treatment.