JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In Thailand, the healthcare system has struggled to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), resulting in directly observed therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis (TB) being de-emphasized. Video observed therapy (VOT) or, more specifically, the Thai VOT “TH VOT” system, was then developed to replace DOT. According to the pilot study, the system needed a notification to improve usability and user compliance. The updated version of the TH VOT system thus enabled LINE notifications.

Objective:

This study aimed to reassess the user compliance and usability of the updated TH VOT system.

Methods:

This study was conducted in Hat Yai and Meuang Songkhla districts in Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand. The system was used by not only TB patients but also TB staff as observers in primary health care settings. Some of the observers used the simulated VOT system instead of the actual system due to the lack of participating patients in their jurisdiction. After 30-day usage, VOT session records were analyzed to determine the compliance of the patients and observers. The User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) was administered to reassess the usability of the system and compare the ratings of the participants with the general benchmark scores of the UEQ. The results were summarized to reveal the user compliance and usability based on three groups: the patient, actual VOT observer, and simulated VOT observer.

Results:

Of the 19 observers, 10 were used the actual VOT, and the remaining 9 used the simulated VOT; there were also 10 TB patients. The patients, actual VOT observers, and simulated observers had about 80%, 65%, and 50% compliance, respectively, in terms of following the standard operating procedures every day. The scores of all groups on all dimensions were well above the average scores. There was no significant difference in any of the dimensional scores among the three groups.

Conclusions:

The updated version of the TH VOT was deemed usable by both the patients and the healthcare staff. Compliance to use the system was high among the patients but moderate among the observers.