Quality of life in tuberculosis patients: A comparative study of video-observed therapy and directly observed therapy

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic disease that negatively impacts the quality of life (QoL) due to the physical, emotional, and social challenges it poses. Digital technology has transformed the management of TB by improving patient outcomes and enabling more efficient and personalized care. One such innovation, video-observed therapy (VOT), enables healthcare workers to observe the patient taking their medication in real-time via video call.

This study aims to compare the impact of VOT and directly observed therapy (DOTs) on QoL in TB patients.

This observational and prospective study was conducted at a TB hospital in India, for 6 months on 110 TB patients, with 55 each in VOT group and DOTs group. Ethical approval was obtained, and patients were provided with an information sheet before signing the consent form. Demographic data were collected, and QoL was assessed using SF-36 scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, with ANOVA and t-tests employed to compare variables (P < 0.05 was considered significant at a 95% confidence level).

Patients in the VOT group showed significantly higher QoL scores (44.10 ± 4.60, 59.36 ± 5.56) compared to the DOTs group (34.39 ± 2.88, 48.80 ± 4.05) after completing intensive and continuous phases of treatment, respectively. These improvements were notable when compared to the initiation of treatment scores (17.23 ± 4.27 for VOT and 10.82 ± 4.07 for DOTs), indicating sustained positive outcomes.

This study provides robust evidence that integrating VOT into standard TB treatment protocols significantly enhances patients' QoL and reduces the overall disease burden.