From FHI360: Mobile application strengthens Myanmar’s fight against MDR-TB
The following blog post was originally posted by Dimagi partner and CommCare user FHI360. You can see the original blog post here.
Community health workers on the front lines of Myanmar’s battle against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) now work more effectively and efficiently by using smartphones loaded with DOTsync, a powerful data collection and patient-tracking application. The application, which was designed byFHI 360’s Control and Prevention of Tuberculosis (CAP-TB) project and the Myanmar Medical Association, was recently launched in three townships in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay. CAP-TB is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
During home visits to MDR-TB patients, community workers use DOTsync for various activities in the treatment of TB: to log antibiotic administration through directly observed therapy (DOT), to monitor infection control, to refer patients with complications due to drug side effects, to track delivery of nutritional support and to follow up with family members who may be exposed. DOTsync has replaced a cumbersome paper-based data system with an easy-to-navigate application, which links to a cloud-based database for instant analysis.
Given that an estimated 10,000 MDR-TB patients will be diagnosed and treated in Myanmar over the next three years, it is imperative to identify an effective strategy to support these patients throughout their MDR-TB treatment. DOTsync offers a promising strategy, leveraging mobile technology to mobilize a cadre of community workers.
About CAP-TB
The CAP-TB project aims to reduce the incidence and mortality of MDR-TB in China, Myanmar and Thailand. FHI 360 partners with the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the World Health Organization, national tuberculosis programs, and local governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
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