Remote evaluation of STH program coverage: Experiences from the DeWorm3 study, India.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Global Health

Background:

• The DeWorm3 trial assessed community-wide mass drug administration (cMDA) for soil-transmitted helminths.
• Coverage evaluation surveys (CES) traditionally used in-person methods to validate cMDA treatment.
• A mobile phone-based CES was piloted in India during COVID-19 restrictions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and challenges of using mobile phone-based coverage evaluation surveys (CES).
• To compare the effectiveness of phone-based CES with traditional in-person CES.

Main Methods:

• Two focus group discussions were conducted with survey implementers.
• Analysis of survey participation data comparing phone-based and in-person CES.

Main Results:

• Phone-based CES reached only 56% of households versus 89% for in-person CES.
• Lower participation of women (66% vs 94%) and higher proxy responses (51% vs 21%) were observed in phone-based CES.
• Challenges included incorrect phone numbers, unanswered calls, and difficulties in obtaining detailed household information.

Conclusions:

• Phone-based CES shows potential for evaluating treatment coverage but requires methodological improvements.
• Key areas for optimization include addressing participation bias and ensuring gender inclusivity.
• Enhancing response quality is essential for the reliability of phone-based coverage evaluations.