To comprehensively analyze the effects of digital health interventions, specifically focusing on treatment success and adherence, for patients with tuberculosis.
Key Findings:
Digital health interventions showed a statistically higher treatment success rate than directly observed therapy (RR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00–1.07) across 29 RCTs involving 17,800 participants.
Video observed therapy (VOT) demonstrated significantly better treatment success compared to directly observed therapy (RR 1.18; 95% CI 1.02–1.37).
VOT also showed significantly higher adherence rates compared to other interventions.
Interpretation:
Video observed therapy is ranked as the top digital health intervention for achieving both treatment success and adherence in tuberculosis management, highlighting its potential for improving patient outcomes.
Limitations:
The study may be limited by the heterogeneity of included trials, including variations in intervention types and study designs.
Potential publication bias in the available literature may affect the generalizability of the findings.
Conclusion:
Video observed therapy has excellent effects on treatment success and adherence compared to other digital health interventions, warranting its increased prominence in clinical care, especially for individuals with low adherence.
