A meta-analysis of technology-based interventions on treatment adherence and treatment success among TBC patients

Various technology-based interventions have been designed to improve medication adherence and treatment success. However, research on the most effective mode to address this issue is still limited. Our study evaluated the effectiveness of technology-based interventions in improving treatment adherence, completion, and treatment success among tuberculosis (TBC) patients. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by searching articles from six databases including PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane, Jstor, Embase, and Scopus from 2018 to April 2023. Two independent reviewers assessed the study quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. We analysed the data using a random-effects model. We also conducted publication bias and sensitivity analysis. In total, 13 studies were identified and 4,794 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that technology-based interventions were effective in improving treatment adherence, completion, and success (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.57, 95% Confident Interval (CI): 1.01-6.50, I2 = 86.6%; OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 0.95-3.28, I2: 82.3%; OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 0.85-3.06, I2: 84%, respectively). We examined the possibility of publication bias in the published studies included in this systematic review. However, no evidence of publication bias was found. From the sensitivity analysis by removing one study randomly, we found that our results are robust. Based on the results, we can conclude that technology-based interventions like MERM, text-based messages, video conferencing, and VOT are effective in increasing treatment adherence and completion in tuberculosis management. Therefore, technology shows immense potential in enhancing patient outcomes.