TuberculosisdotsappNCT05865626
Evaluation of the VOT Among Tuberculosis Patients From Lambaréné
A study testing VOT with and without cash incentive in people with Tuberculosis, run by Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné at 1 site in Gabon.
Trial summary
This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of using an instant messenger to monitor drug intake in tuberculosis patients and to assess cash incentive to improve adherence to drug intake Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Tuberculosis
- What is being tested?
- VOT with and without cash incentive
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGabon
- Study dates
- 10 Oct 2018to 30 Jun 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Older than 18 years
- Signed informed consent form
- Living in an area with mobile phone coverage
- Have at least 3 months of treatment remaining
Who cannot join
- Not being able to use a smartphone and unlikely to learn how to
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: A Pilot Study to Evaluate Video Observed Treatment Among Tuberculosis Patients From Lambaréné Using an Instant Messenger Application
This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of using an instant messenger to monitor drug intake in tuberculosis patients and to assess cash incentive to improve adherence to drug intake
Read the detailed description
At the initial visit, the inclusion criteria are cross-checked, the subject is informed of the study procedures, and an informed consent form is signed by subjects willing to participate.
For the participants from the intervention group, the research team will provide a smartphone with the WhatsApp application to each participant. At the initial visit, the research team will explain to the participants how to use the phone and the instant messenger application for the study. Briefly, the subject is filmed while taking the drug. This can be via a "selfie" or by a family member. The video is then sent to the study phone contact.
Once the video is received by an investigator, a message will be sent back to the participant's mobile phone acknowledging receipt of the video. An investigator trained on the DOT protocol, will review the video clips to assess if the drug was taken correctly or not. A daily log is filled in to keep track of drug intake for each participant.
Participants from both the control and intervention group are seen once per month in person for follow-ups and getting new drugs. At these time points information on drug intake is gathered.
- Conditions
- Tuberculosis
- Being tested
- VOT with and without cash incentive
- Medical subject headings
- Tuberculosis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VOT with and without cash incentiveOther
Also called VOT
Here we are interested in the remote monitoring of TB treatment, and the impact that financial motivation can have on compliance with this monitoring. the cross-over here means that participants in each intervention group will at some point receive VOT without motivation and then VOT with motivation, depending on whether they start with one or the other combination
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| VOT without cash incentive at the begining | Experimental | Participants in this group start VOT without financial motivation. In the second part of their follow-up, VOT is combined with financial motivation. Receives: Other: VOT with and without cash incentive |
| VOT with cash incentive at the begining | Experimental | The participants in this group start the VOT with the financial motivation. In the second part of their follow-up, VOT is no longer associated with financial motivation Receives: Other: VOT with and without cash incentive |
| Standard care | No intervention | The participants in this group self-administer the anti-tuberculosis treatment as is done routinely. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
feasibility assessment
proportion of participants in the intervention groups who regularly send the videos throughout the follow-up.
Measured: at the end of study (2 years)
Secondary outcomes (2)
adherence to the VOT
number of videos received compared to the expected number of videos
Measured: at the end of study (2 years)
effect of cash incentives on adherence to the VOT
comparison of the proportion of videos received during the follow-up phase without financial motivation and the proportion of videos received during the follow-up phase with financial motivation.
Measured: at the end of study (2 years)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 May 2023
- Study start10 Oct 2018
- Primary completion30 Jun 2020
- Study completion30 Jun 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (10)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for TuberculosisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- In the intervention group, 20 subjects will receive a smartphone and one of the two incentives (close-follow-up or a financial incentive) over a 12 weeks period. After this period, the participant will receive the second incentive. The order is determined randomly with 10 participants receiving the incentives. Participants may receive a third incentive (social feedback) the earliest 6 weeks after the beginning of the treatment, in addition to the basic incentive. The 10 participants in the control group will not receive a smartphone but will be followed-up monthly.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, EDOA Jean Ronald, Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné
- Investigators
- Bertarnd Lell, prof., Study director, Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05865626
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- dotsapp1
- Acronym
- dotsapp
- Status last verified
- May 2023
- First submitted
- 29 Apr 2023
- Last updated
- 19 May 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Belard S, Remppis J, Bootsma S, Janssen S, Kombila DU, Beyeme JO, Rossatanga EG, Kokou C, Osbak KK, Obiang Mba RM, Kaba HM, Traore AN, Ehrhardt J, Bache EB, Flamen A, Rusch-Gerdes S, Frank M, Adegnika AA, Lell B, Niemann S, Kremsner PG, Loembe MM, Alabi AS, Grobusch MP. Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome and Drug Resistance in Lambarene, Gabon: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016 Aug 3;95(2):472-80. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0668. Epub 2016 Jun 27.
PubMed 27352879Elangovan R, Arulchelvan S. A Study on the Role of Mobile Phone Communication in Tuberculosis DOTS Treatment. Indian J Community Med. 2013 Oct;38(4):229-33. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.120158.
PubMed 24302824Sinkou H, Hurevich H, Rusovich V, Zhylevich L, Falzon D, de Colombani P, Dadu A, Dara M, Story A, Skrahina A. Video-observed treatment for tuberculosis patients in Belarus: findings from the first programmatic experience. Eur Respir J. 2017 Mar 22;49(3):1602049. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02049-2016. Print 2017 Mar.
PubMed 28331042Garfein RS, Collins K, Munoz F, Moser K, Cerecer-Callu P, Raab F, Rios P, Flick A, Zuniga ML, Cuevas-Mota J, Liang K, Rangel G, Burgos JL, Rodwell TC, Patrick K. Feasibility of tuberculosis treatment monitoring by video directly observed therapy: a binational pilot study. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2015 Sep;19(9):1057-64. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.14.0923.
PubMed 26260824Handbook for the use of digital technologies to support tuberculosis medication adherence. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017.
Iribarren SJ, Schnall R, Stone PW, Carballo-Dieguez A. Smartphone Applications to Support Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment: Review and Evaluation. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2016 May 13;4(2):e25. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.5022.
PubMed 27177591Giordano V, Koch H, Godoy-Santos A, Dias Belangero W, Esteves Santos Pires R, Labronici P. WhatsApp Messenger as an Adjunctive Tool for Telemedicine: An Overview. Interact J Med Res. 2017 Jul 21;6(2):e11. doi: 10.2196/ijmr.6214.
PubMed 28733273Seewoodharry MD, Maconachie GDE, Gillies CL, Gottlob I, McLean RJ. The Effects of Feedback on Adherence to Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of RCTs. Am J Prev Med. 2017 Aug;53(2):232-240. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.03.005. Epub 2017 Apr 26.
PubMed 28456347Lutge EE, Wiysonge CS, Knight SE, Sinclair D, Volmink J. Incentives and enablers to improve adherence in tuberculosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Sep 3;2015(9):CD007952. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007952.pub3.
PubMed 26333525Stuurman AL, Vonk Noordegraaf-Schouten M, van Kessel F, Oordt-Speets AM, Sandgren A, van der Werf MJ. Interventions for improving adherence to treatment for latent tuberculosis infection: a systematic review. BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Jun 8;16:257. doi: 10.1186/s12879-016-1549-4.
PubMed 27268103
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 May 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Pilot Study to Evaluate Video Observed Treatment Among Tuberculosis Patients From Lambaréné Using an Instant Messenger Application
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05865626
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- dotsapp / dotsapp1
- Conditions
- Tuberculosis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre de Recherche Médicale de LambarénéUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Oct 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 May 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of using an instant messenger to monitor drug intake in tuberculosis patients and to assess cash incentive to improve adherence to drug intake
Detailed description
At the initial visit, the inclusion criteria are cross-checked, the subject is informed of the study procedures, and an informed consent form is signed by subjects willing to participate.
For the participants from the intervention group, the research team will provide a smartphone with the WhatsApp application to each participant. At the initial visit, the research team will explain to the participants how to use the phone and the instant messenger application for the study. Briefly, the subject is filmed while taking the drug. This can be via a "selfie" or by a family member. The video is then sent to the study phone contact.
Once the video is received by an investigator, a message will be sent back to the participant's mobile phone acknowledging receipt of the video. An investigator trained on the DOT protocol, will review the video clips to assess if the drug was taken correctly or not. A daily log is filled in to keep track of drug intake for each participant.
Participants from both the control and intervention group are seen once per month in person for follow-ups and getting new drugs. At these time points information on drug intake is gathered.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- In the intervention group, 20 subjects will receive a smartphone and one of the two incentives (close-follow-up or a financial incentive) over a 12 weeks period. After this period, the participant will receive the second incentive. The order is determined randomly with 10 participants receiving the incentives. Participants may receive a third incentive (social feedback) the earliest 6 weeks after the beginning of the treatment, in addition to the basic incentive. The 10 participants in the control group will not receive a smartphone but will be followed-up monthly.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| VOT without cash incentive at the begining | Experimental | Other: VOT with and without cash incentiveParticipants in this group start VOT without financial motivation. In the second part of their follow-up, VOT is combined with financial motivation. |
| VOT with cash incentive at the begining | Experimental | Other: VOT with and without cash incentiveThe participants in this group start the VOT with the financial motivation. In the second part of their follow-up, VOT is no longer associated with financial motivation |
| Standard care | No intervention | –The participants in this group self-administer the anti-tuberculosis treatment as is done routinely. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Older than 18 years
- Signed informed consent form
- Living in an area with mobile phone coverage
- Have at least 3 months of treatment remaining
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Not being able to use a smartphone and unlikely to learn how to
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| VOT with and without cash incentiveAlso: VOTHere we are interested in the remote monitoring of TB treatment, and the impact that financial motivation can have on compliance with this monitoring. the cross-over here means that participants in each intervention group will at some point receive VOT without motivation and then VOT with motivation, depending on whether they start with one or the other combination | Other | VOT with cash incentive at the begining, VOT without cash incentive at the begining |
Primary outcome
feasibility assessment
Time frame: at the end of study (2 years)
proportion of participants in the intervention groups who regularly send the videos throughout the follow-up.
2 secondary outcomes
adherence to the VOT
Time frame: at the end of study (2 years)
effect of cash incentives on adherence to the VOT
Time frame: at the end of study (2 years)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 May 2023.
- Background: PubMed 27352879Belard S, Remppis J, Bootsma S, Janssen S, Kombila DU, Beyeme JO, Rossatanga EG, Kokou C, Osbak KK, Obiang Mba RM, Kaba HM, Traore AN, Ehrhardt J, Bache EB, Flamen A, Rusch-Gerdes S, Frank M, Adegnika AA, Lell B, Niemann S, Kremsner PG, Loembe MM, Alabi AS, Grobusch MP. Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome and Drug Resistance in Lambarene, Gabon: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016 Aug 3;95(2):472-80. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0668. Epub 2016 Jun 27.
- Background: PubMed 24302824Elangovan R, Arulchelvan S. A Study on the Role of Mobile Phone Communication in Tuberculosis DOTS Treatment. Indian J Community Med. 2013 Oct;38(4):229-33. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.120158.
- Background: PubMed 28331042Sinkou H, Hurevich H, Rusovich V, Zhylevich L, Falzon D, de Colombani P, Dadu A, Dara M, Story A, Skrahina A. Video-observed treatment for tuberculosis patients in Belarus: findings from the first programmatic experience. Eur Respir J. 2017 Mar 22;49(3):1602049. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02049-2016. Print 2017 Mar.
- Background: PubMed 26260824Garfein RS, Collins K, Munoz F, Moser K, Cerecer-Callu P, Raab F, Rios P, Flick A, Zuniga ML, Cuevas-Mota J, Liang K, Rangel G, Burgos JL, Rodwell TC, Patrick K. Feasibility of tuberculosis treatment monitoring by video directly observed therapy: a binational pilot study. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2015 Sep;19(9):1057-64. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.14.0923.
- BackgroundHandbook for the use of digital technologies to support tuberculosis medication adherence. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017.
- Background: PubMed 27177591Iribarren SJ, Schnall R, Stone PW, Carballo-Dieguez A. Smartphone Applications to Support Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment: Review and Evaluation. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2016 May 13;4(2):e25. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.5022.
- Background: PubMed 28733273Giordano V, Koch H, Godoy-Santos A, Dias Belangero W, Esteves Santos Pires R, Labronici P. WhatsApp Messenger as an Adjunctive Tool for Telemedicine: An Overview. Interact J Med Res. 2017 Jul 21;6(2):e11. doi: 10.2196/ijmr.6214.
- Background: PubMed 28456347Seewoodharry MD, Maconachie GDE, Gillies CL, Gottlob I, McLean RJ. The Effects of Feedback on Adherence to Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of RCTs. Am J Prev Med. 2017 Aug;53(2):232-240. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.03.005. Epub 2017 Apr 26.
- Background: PubMed 26333525Lutge EE, Wiysonge CS, Knight SE, Sinclair D, Volmink J. Incentives and enablers to improve adherence in tuberculosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Sep 3;2015(9):CD007952. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007952.pub3.
- Background: PubMed 27268103Stuurman AL, Vonk Noordegraaf-Schouten M, van Kessel F, Oordt-Speets AM, Sandgren A, van der Werf MJ. Interventions for improving adherence to treatment for latent tuberculosis infection: a systematic review. BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Jun 8;16:257. doi: 10.1186/s12879-016-1549-4.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Tuberculosis
RecruitingPhase 4
Short-term Antibiotic Therapy in Mycobacterium Avium Complex Pulmonary Disease
Mycobacterium Avium Complex Pulmonary Disease
RecruitingObservational study
Paradoxical Tuberculosis Reactions in Patients Without HIV Infection
Tuberculosis
Not yet recruitingPhase 2
Re-evaluating the Duration in Children of TB Treatment
Tuberculosis
RecruitingPhase 1/2
A Study of Daily Rifapentine Combined With Isoniazid (1HP) for Tuberculosis Prevention in Children Less Than 13 Years of Age With and Without HIV
Tuberculosis
Active, not recruitingPhase 3
Protecting Households On Exposure to Newly Diagnosed Index Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients
Tuberculosis, MDR
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Bertarnd Lell, prof. study director
Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VOT with and without cash incentive in people with Tuberculosis, run by Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné at 1 site in Gabon.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 May 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Gabon. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
feasibility assessment (time frame: at the end of study (2 years)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05865626, which also lists 10 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 May 2023.