Self-management mHealth Intervention May Improve Patient Understanding of TB

A self-management mobile health (mHealth) intervention based on the integrated theory of health behavior change (ITHBC) may help patients better understand their tuberculosis (TB), according to a study published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance.

Researchers conducted a prospective randomized control study that included 114 patients admitted to a single TB clinic in China between May and August 2020.

Patients were split into intervention and control groups. All patients received routine medical and nursing care in the clinic for 3 months. However, the 59 patients in the intervention group had access to the pharmacist-assisted mHealth intervention based on the ITHBC theory on TB management.

Outcomes were evaluated using web-based, self-designed, and standard questionnaires completed at baseline and at the conclusion of the 3-month intervention for both groups.

The primary outcome was self-management behavior, which was found to statistically significantly increase compared with baseline in the intervention group.

Almost all self-care management behavior scores were higher in the intervention group compared with those of the control group at the end of the study. The only exceptions were the scores for the items “cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing” and “wash hands properly,” which were not significantly different between groups.

Secondary outcomes included awareness, self-efficacy, social support, and the degree of satisfaction with health education for TB.

For patients with TB using the WeChat intervention based on ITHBC, all secondary outcomes increased significantly as well, compared with baseline scores. Patients using the intervention also had significantly higher scores in these areas compared with the control group.

Because the results relied on accurate completion of questionnaires, the authors noted the study could not demonstrate whether the participants actually adopted the recommended behaviors. They also plan to conduct longer-term studies to better assess participants’ clinical efficacy and quality of life.

According to the study authors, the mHealth intervention educated patients with TB on their condition. Additionally, it could improve patients’ objective initiative and self-care management behaviors, which improved compliance behavior as well as the quality of prevention and control of pulmonary TB. They also concluded this intervention provides an effective solution for outpatients with TB without nursing care.

Reference

Bao Y, Wang C, Xu H, et al. Effects of an mHealth intervention for pulmonary tuberculosis self-management based on the integrated theory of health behavior change: randomized controlled trial. JMIR Public Health Surveill. Published online July 14, 2022. doi:10.2196/34277