Evaluation of a Mobile Health Approach to Tuberculosis Contact Tracing in Botswana.
Tuberculosis (TB) contact tracing is typically conducted in resource-limited settings with paper forms, but this approach may be limited by inefficiencies in data collection, storage, and retrieval and poor data quality. In Botswana, we developed, piloted, and evaluated a mobile health (mHealth) approach to TB contact tracing that replaced the paper form-based approach for a period of six months. For both approaches, we compared the time required to complete TB contact tracing and the quality of data collected. For the mHealth approach, we also administered the Computer System Usability Questionnaire to 2 health care workers who used the new approach, and we identified and addressed operational considerations for implementation. Compared to the paper form-based approach, the mHealth approach reduced the median time required to complete TB contact tracing and improved data quality. The mHealth approach also had favorable overall rating, system usefulness, information quality, and interface quality scores on the Computer System Usability Questionnaire. Overall, the mHealth approach to TB contact tracing improved on the paper form-based approach used in Botswana. This new approach may similarly benefit TB contact tracing efforts in other resource-limited settings.
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|b Center for Public Health Initiatives , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|c Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Yoonhee P
YP
Ha
d Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship Program, Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.
Martha A
MA
Tesfalul
e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.
Ryan
R
Littman-Quinn
e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.
Cynthia
C
Antwi
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Rebecca S
RS
Green
f Nextel Enterprises (Pty) Ltd. , Gaborone , Botswana.|g Graduate School of Technology Management , University of Pretoria , Pretoria , South Africa.
Tumelo O
TO
Mapila
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|b Center for Public Health Initiatives , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|c Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|h Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Scarlett L
SL
Bellamy
i Botswana National Tuberculosis Programme , Republic of Botswana Ministry of Health , Gaborone , Botswana.
Ronald T
RT
Ncube
i Botswana National Tuberculosis Programme , Republic of Botswana Ministry of Health , Gaborone , Botswana.
Kenneth
K
Mugisha
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.
Ari R
AR
Ho-Foster
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.|j Center for Biomedical Informatics , The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Anthony A
AA
Luberti
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|b Center for Public Health Initiatives , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|c Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|h Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
John H
JH
Holmes
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.|k Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases , The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Andrew P
AP
Steenhoff
a Perelman School of Medicine , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|e Botswana-UPenn Partnership , Gaborone , Botswana.|l Department of Dermatology , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
Carrie L
CL
Kovarik
D000328:Adult; D001902:Botswana / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods*; D000068598:Data Accuracy; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
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