%0 Journal Article
%T TextTB: A Mixed Method Pilot Study Evaluating Acceptance, Feasibility, and Exploring Initial Efficacy of a Text Messaging Intervention to Support TB Treatment Adherence
%A Sarah Iribarren
%A Susan Beck
%A Patricia F. Pearce
%A Cristina Chirico
%A Mirta Etchevarria
%A Daniel Cardinale
%A Fernando Rubinstein
%J Tuberculosis Research and Treatment
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/349394
%X Objective. To assess a text messaging intervention to promote tuberculosis (TB) treatment adherence. Methods. A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted within a public pulmonary-specialized hospital in Argentina. Patients newly diagnosed with TB who were 18 or older, and had mobile phone access were recruited and randomized to usual care plus either medication calendar ( ) or text messaging intervention ( ) for the first two months of treatment. Primary outcomes were feasibility and acceptability; secondary outcomes explored initial efficacy. Results. Feasibility was evidenced by high access to mobile phones, familiarity with texting, most phones limited to basic features, a low rate of participant refusal, and many describing suboptimal TB understanding. Acceptability was evidenced by participants indicating feeling cared for, supported, responsible for their treatment, and many self-reporting adherence without a reminder. Participants in the texting group self-reported adherence on average 77% of the days whereas only 53% in calendar group returned diaries. Exploring initial efficacy, microscopy testing was low and treatment outcomes were similar in both groups. Conclusion. The texting intervention was well accepted and feasible with greater reporting of adherence using text messaging than the diary. Further evaluation of the texting intervention is warranted. 1. Introduction The mobile phone is cited as the most rapidly adopted technology on the planet [1]. The figure of 6.8 billion mobile phones subscribers in 2013 is nearing the number of people on earth [2]. In an attempt to combat the continued challenges of tuberculosis (TB) as a major global health problem researchers have proposed using short message service (SMS) or text messaging to improve TB treatment adherence [3]. TB treatment adherence remains a challenge in TB control efforts and nonadherence can lead to poor outcomes, such as prolonged infectivity, increase in the risk of relapse after treatment, generation and propagation of drug resistance, treatment failure, and increased mortality [4, 5]. Heightening TB patients¡¯ involvement in their own care and improving communication between patients and their healthcare team have been recommended to improve adherence [3, 6]. Argentina has high access to mobile phones and a need to improve TB treatment outcomes. With an estimated population of 40.8 million, there was a reported 59.6 million mobile phones in service and 11.3 billion SMS messages sent in January 2013 [7]. Argentina¡¯s National TB Program acknowledges that the overall TB treatment
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/trt/2013/349394/