Evaluation of a new mobile application developed for tuberculosis patients: a prospective observational study from Turkey

OBJECTIVE: A new mobile application for video directly observed treatment (vDOT) was developed and implemented for tuberculosis (TB) patients in Turkey in 2023. This study evaluated its features and analyzed one-year user data. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted between 1 February 2023, and 31 January 2024, with 115 voluntary TB patients who met the inclusion criteria. Additionally, a satisfaction/adherence questionnaire prepared by the researchers was administered via telephone to 95 individuals who voluntarily used vDOT through the mobile application. FINDINGS: < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study revealed high usage rates for the mobile application, which was developed for vDOT and implemented as a telemedicine solution for the first time in Turkey. Additionally, the results on ease of use and satisfaction/adherence suggest that the mobile application can be used positively by the majority of patients.