Comparison of In-Person vs. Video Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT) on Stigma Levels in Tuberculosis Patients

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Social Science

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge.
• Patient stigma associated with TB can impede treatment adherence and outcomes.
• Directly observed therapy (DOT) is a standard TB treatment, but its impact on stigma requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of video directly observed therapy (VDOT) on stigma levels in tuberculosis patients.
• To compare stigma scores between patients receiving VDOT and traditional DOT.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 82 tuberculosis patients in Samsun, Turkey, between August and October 2021.
• Participants were divided into two groups: 30 receiving DOT and 52 receiving VDOT.
• The Stigma Scale in Patients with Tuberculosis (SSTB) was administered to all participants.

Main Results:

• Patients receiving VDOT reported significantly lower overall stigma scores compared to those on DOT (P = .006).
• VDOT group showed reduced scores in perceived stigma, internalized stigma, and family/friend relations subdimensions (P < .05).
• VDOT and male gender were identified as independent factors associated with lower total SSTB scores.

Conclusions:

• Video directly observed therapy (VDOT) is effective in reducing stigma among tuberculosis patients.
• VDOT presents a viable alternative to homecare DOT for mitigating patient-reported stigma.
• Implementing VDOT may improve the psychosocial well-being of TB patients.