Abstract:

Objective: To explore the feasibility of electronic pillboxes assisting students with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to carry out tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT), so as to provide scientific basis for the promotion and application of related technologies. Methods: (1) Twenty-five students who were found to have LTBI during the physical examination for admission to Yining Health School in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in September 2023 and met the TPT criteria, and used electronic pillboxes to assist TPT, were included as the research subjects to analyze the completion rate and compliance of TPT. (2) Using purposive sampling method, a total of 7 individuals were selected from the staff of the Tuberculosis Prevention Department of Yining City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, school doctors, and LTBI students who use electronic pillboxes for medication check-in. Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted, mainly focusing on the influencing factors and feasibility of using electronic pillboxes to assist TPT. Results: Among the 25 students who used electronic pillboxes to assist with TPT for LTBI, 15 (60%) completed TPT; the total number of times medication should be taken was 2077, and the actual number of times medication should be taken was 1697, with a medication rate of 81.70%. Among them, there were 917 active check-ins, with an active check-in rate of 44.15%. The medication rate in the first month of TPT was 99.42% (691/695), with an active check-in rate of 73.09% (508/695). In the third month, the medication rate was 57.71% (434/752), with an active check-in rate of 23.01% (173/752). With the increase of treatment time, the medication rate and active check-in rate both significantly decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (χ²=-19.078, P<0.05; χ²=-20.652, P<0.05). After excluding the situation where the electronic pillbox cannot be used normally due to equipment technical issues, the total number of times medication should be taken was 1209, and the actual number of times medication was taken was 1083, with a medication rate of 89.58%. Among them, the number of active check-in times was 874, and the active check-in rate was 72.29%; the medication rate and active check-in rate were significantly higher than those without excluding equipment technical problems, and the differences were statistically significant (χ²=35.765, P<0.05; χ²=242.910, P<0.05). The interview results showed that user experience, infrastructure, training, and communication, all had an impact on the implementation of TPT by electronic pillboxes assisted student LTBI. Conclusion: The application of electronic pillboxes to assist LTBI students in conducting TPT is feasible. The promotion and application of electronic pillboxes in TPT requires local efforts to strengthen infrastructure resource construction, enhance health education, and promptly solve technical problems that may arise during use.

Key words: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Infection, Therapeutic uses, Preventive health services, Electronic pillboxes