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Thomas BE, Kumar JV, Periyasamy M, Khandewale AS, Hephzibah Mercy J, Raj EM, Kokila S, Walgude AS, Gaurkhede GR, Kumbhar JD, Ovung S, Paul M, Rajkumar BS, Subbaraman R. Acceptability of the Medication Event Reminder Monitor for Promoting Adherence to Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Therapy in Two Indian Cities: Qualitative Study of Patients and Health Care Providers. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e23294. [PMID: 34110300 PMCID: PMC8262665 DOI: 10.2196/23294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) face challenges adhering to medications, given that treatment is prolonged and has a high rate of adverse effects. The Medication Event Reminder Monitor (MERM) is a digital pillbox that provides pill-taking reminders and facilitates the remote monitoring of medication adherence. Objective This study aims to assess the MERM’s acceptability to patients and health care providers (HCPs) during pilot implementation in India’s public sector MDR-TB program. Methods From October 2017 to September 2018, we conducted qualitative interviews with patients who were undergoing MDR-TB therapy and were being monitored with the MERM and HCPs in the government program in Chennai and Mumbai. Interview transcripts were independently coded by 2 researchers and analyzed to identify the emergent themes. We organized findings by using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which outlines 4 constructs that predict technology acceptance—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Results We interviewed 65 patients with MDR-TB and 10 HCPs. In patient interviews, greater acceptance of the MERM was related to perceptions that the audible and visual reminders improved medication adherence and that remote monitoring reduced the frequency of clinic visits (performance expectancy), that the device’s organization and labeling of medications made it easier to take them correctly (effort expectancy), that the device facilitated positive family involvement in the patient’s care (social influences), and that remote monitoring made patients feel more cared for by the health system (facilitating conditions). Lower patient acceptance was related to problems with the durability of the MERM’s cardboard construction and difficulties with portability and storage because of its large size (effort expectancy), concerns regarding stigma and the disclosure of patients’ MDR-TB diagnoses (social influences), and the incorrect understanding of the MERM because of suboptimal counseling (facilitating conditions). In their interviews, HCPs reported that MERM implementation resulted in fewer in-person interactions with patients and thus allowed HCPs to dedicate more time to other tasks, which improved job satisfaction. Conclusions Several features of the MERM support its acceptability among patients with MDR-TB and HCPs, and some barriers to patient use could be addressed by improving the design of the device. However, some barriers, such as disease-related stigma, are more difficult to modify and may limit use of the MERM among some patients with MDR-TB. Further research is needed to assess the accuracy of MERM for measuring adherence, its effectiveness for improving treatment outcomes, and patients’ sustained use of the device in larger scale implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beena E Thomas
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - J Vignesh Kumar
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Murugesan Periyasamy
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Amit Subhash Khandewale
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - J Hephzibah Mercy
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - E Michael Raj
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - S Kokila
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Apurva Shashikant Walgude
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Gunjan Rahul Gaurkhede
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Jagannath Dattatraya Kumbhar
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Senthanro Ovung
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Mariyamma Paul
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - B Sathyan Rajkumar
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India
| | - Ramnath Subbaraman
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,Center for Global Public Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
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Subbaraman R, Thomas BE, Kumar JV, Thiruvengadam K, Khandewale A, Kokila S, Lubeck-Schricker M, Ranjith Kumar M, Gaurkhede GR, Walgude AS, Hephzibah Mercy J, Kumbhar JD, Eliasziw M, Mayer KH, Haberer JE. Understanding Nonadherence to Tuberculosis Medications in India Using Urine Drug Metabolite Testing: A Cohort Study. Open Forum Infect Dis 2021; 8:ofab190. [PMID: 34250181 PMCID: PMC8262681 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is associated with disease recurrence and death. Little research has been conducted in India to understand TB medication nonadherence. METHODS We enrolled adult drug-susceptible TB patients, approximately half of whom were people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), in Chennai, Vellore, and Mumbai. We conducted a single unannounced home visit to administer a survey assessing reasons for nonadherence and collect a urine sample that was tested for isoniazid content. We described patient-reported reasons for nonadherence and identified factors associated with nonadherence (ie, negative urine test) using multivariable logistic regression. We also assessed the association between nonadherence and treatment outcomes. RESULTS Of 650 participants in the cohort, 77 (11.8%) had a negative urine test. Nonadherence was independently associated with daily wage labor (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.7; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-6.5; P = .03), the late continuation treatment phase (aOR, 2.0; CI, 1.1-3.9; P = .03), smear-positive pulmonary disease (aOR, 2.1; CI, 1.1-3.9; P = .03), alcohol use (aOR, 2.5; CI, 1.2-5.2; P = .01), and spending ≥30 minutes collecting medication refills (aOR, 6.6; CI, 1.5-29.5; P = .01). People with HIV reported greater barriers to collecting medications than non-PWH. Among 167 patients reporting missing doses, reported reasons included traveling from home, forgetting, feeling depressed, and running out of pills. The odds of unfavorable treatment outcomes were 4.0 (CI, 2.1-7.6) times higher among patients with nonadherence (P < .0001). CONCLUSION Addressing structural and psychosocial barriers will be critical to improve TB treatment adherence in India. Urine isoniazid testing may help identify nonadherent patients to facilitate early intervention during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramnath Subbaraman
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts
University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases,
Tufts Medical Center, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA
| | - Beena E Thomas
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
- Correspondence: Beena E. Thomas, PhD, MSW, Department of Social and
Behavioural Research, ICMR- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, No.
1, Mayor Sathiyamoorthy Road, Chetpet, Chennai – 600 031, India ()
| | - J Vignesh Kumar
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Kannan Thiruvengadam
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Amit Khandewale
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - S Kokila
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Maya Lubeck-Schricker
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts
University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA
| | - M Ranjith Kumar
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Gunjan Rahul Gaurkhede
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Apurva Shashikant Walgude
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - J Hephzibah Mercy
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Jagannath Dattatraya Kumbhar
- Department of Social and Behavioural Research,
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis,
Chennai, India
| | - Misha Eliasziw
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts
University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kenneth H Mayer
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health and Department of
Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical
School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jessica E Haberer
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital
and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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