The major challenge in meeting the WHO's End TB Strategy- reducing tuberculosis (TB) deaths by 90% and incidence by 80% is the cascading patient loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) along the continuum of TB care. A systematic review found high levels of pre-treatment LTFU-ranging from 4 to 38%, and was higher in sub-Saharan Africa (18%) compared to Asia (13%). Consequences of pre-diagnosis and pre-treatment LTFU are; untreated TB patients are infectious and can transmit TB to others and not starting TB treatment at all, causes high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, monitoring outcomes of presumptive TB patients is equally important as monitoring treatment outcomes. Short message service (SMS), phone calls and mobile money (MM) incentives have shown promise by improving health outcomes such as uptake of immunization, adherence to TB treatment and antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, there is limited knowledge their effect in increasing linkage to care and treatment for presumptive TB patients in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study is therefore to leverage SMS reminders, phone call and MM incentives in improving linkage to care of presumptive TB patients. This will be a five arm multi-center individual randomized controlled trial implemented in selected high-volume health facilities in Uganda among 1548 presumptive TB patients. The study population will be presumptive TB patients aged 18 years and above identified within the study facilities who do not complete TB diagnosis same day. Completion of TB diagnosis will refer to submitting a sample and obtaining results from the test. Our hypothesis is that using SMS reminders, phone call and Mobile Money incentives will result in increase in the proportion of presumptive TB patients that complete diagnosis and pre-treatment TB cases that initiate treatment.
The major challenge in meeting the WHO's End TB Strategy- reducing TB deaths by 90% and incidence by 80% is the cascading patient loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) along the continuum of TB care. Patients can be lost to follow-up after being identified as presumptive TB cases and never get to test for TB (pre-diagnosis LTFU) or those who test and are confirmed to have TB, can also be lost and never start TB treatment (pre-treatment LTFU). A systematic review found high levels of pre-treatment LTFU-ranging from 4 to 38%, and was higher in sub-Saharan Africa (18%) compared to Asia (13%). Consequences of pre-diagnosis and pre-treatment LTFU are; untreated TB patients are infectious and can transmit TB to others and not starting TB treatment at all, causes high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, monitoring outcomes of presumptive TB patients is equally important as monitoring treatment outcomes. Short message service (SMS), phone calls and mobile money (MM) incentives have shown promise by improving health outcomes such as uptake of immunization, adherence to TB treatment and ART. However, there is limited knowledge their effect in increasing linkage to care and treatment for presumptive TB patients in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study is therefore to leverage SMS reminders, phone call and MM incentives in improving linkage to care of presumptive TB patients. This will be a five arm multi-center individual randomized controlled trial implemented in selected high-volume health facilities in Uganda among 1548 presumptive TB patients. The study population will be presumptive TB patients aged 18 years and above identified within the study facilities who do not complete TB diagnosis same day. Completion of TB diagnosis will refer to submitting a sample and obtaining results from the test. The study arms will include; i) Standard of care (SOC - control group) ii) SMS only iii) phone call only iv) SMS and MM incentive v) Phone call and MM incentive Our hypothesis is that using SMS reminders, phone call and Mobile Money incentives will result in increase in the proportion of presumptive TB patients that complete diagnosis and pre-treatment TB cases that initiate treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SCREENING
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
2,355
Participants in this arm will receive three SMS reminders. The first SMS will be sent on day one after enrollment into the study. The second SMS will be sent once participant results are ready. If two days after the second SMS the patient has not returned to complete TB diagnosis, a third SMS will be sent. Messages will be automatically sent in either English or Luganda, the commonly spoken local language in the study area. The preferred language of the participant will be determined at enrollment.
Participants in this arm will receive three phone call reminders. The first phone call will be made on day one after enrollment into the study. The second phone call will be made once participant results are ready. If two days after the second phone call the patient has not returned to complete TB diagnosis, a third phone call will be made. Phone calls will be made in either English or Luganda, the commonly spoken local language in the study area. The preferred language of the participant will be determined at enrollment.
Once participants in the study arms with mobile money complete TB diagnosis by submitting a sputum sample and collecting back results, a money incentive worth 20,000/= (Twenty thousand shillings only) will be given as a transport refund sent via mobile money.
Luwero General Hospital
Luwero, Kasana, Uganda
Kiruddu National Referral Hospital
Kampala, Makindye, Uganda
Mukono General Hospital
Mukono, Uganda
Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital
Wakiso, Uganda
Wakiso Health Center IV
Wakiso, Uganda
Completion of TB diagnosis
This will include completing TB diagnosis using laboratory investigations (GeneXpert) 30 days after being identified as presumptive. This will also include the patient receiving results when ready.
Time frame: 30 days (from being identified as presumptive TB patient)
Median time to completing TB diagnosis
The time a participant took to complete diagnosis from when they were presumed for TB.
Time frame: Up to 30 days. Determined as Time from when the patient is enrolled on the study to when they complete TB diagnosis
Initiation of TB treatment
This will include initiating treatment within 30 days after being confirmed with TB
Time frame: 30 days after being confirmed with TB
Median time to initiating treatment
The time a participant took to initiate treatment once confirmed to have TB
Time frame: Up to 30 days. Determined as Time from when the patient is confirmed to have TB to when they initiate TB treatment
Acceptability of the intervention
This will refer to how acceptable the short message service, phone call and mobile money incentives intervention is in terms of performance, effort, social norms, and facilitating conditions. This will be a post intervention qualitative evaluation
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of two months
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