Digital Adherence Technologies: A field visit to DATs site in Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Anambra State
The Digital Adherence Technologies (DATs) Project is funded by Stop TB Partnership/UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) and implemented by KNCV TB Foundation Nigeria with a consortium of partners – KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Netherlands and Interra Networks. The DATs project is aimed at comprehensive introduction of digital adherence technologies to support tuberculosis treatment across eight states in Nigeria: Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, and Rivers through two intervention models:
- 99DOTS medication labels – Use medication labels that contain a unique single 3-digit code and the country SMS short code number to track records of daily drug intake by TB patients.
- VOT (Video-observed Therapy) – Use SureAdhere mobile app to record videos of drug intake by TB patients, enabling remote adherence monitoring through video technology by the Healthcare workers.
The Executive Director KNCV Nigeria Dr. Bethrand Odume accompanied by the National Coordinator NTBLCP Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike visited the DATs implementation site in Anambra State. The KNCV Nigeria Senior Program Manager in Anambra introduced the DATs team, the Executive Director and the National Coordinator inspected the DATs sleeves and listened to first hand account of the impact of Digital adherence to TB medications from Healthcare workers and Patients.
Egwuatu Justice Chidi is one of the patients receiving care under the DATs project in Anambra. He was glad to chat with us on the positive impact of the programme on his health.
Click the link to listen to Chidi’s interview…………
The project is the first TB treatment adherence technology to be implemented within the National TB program in Nigeria. It is focused on an integrated deployment approach, with different DAT options for patients and one unified application for the healthcare worker. The different DAT model helps to remind patients to take their medications, facilitate digital observation of pill-taking, compile dosing histories, triage patients based on their level of adherence, thereby facilitating the provision of individualized care by the TB program based on patients risks. The duration of the project is one year.
