Table 3.
Characteristics studies included in the review
| Study ID | Belknap, et al, 2017 [49] |
| Setting | USA, Spain, Hong Kong and South Africa |
| Methods | A randomized clinical trial |
| Participants | Adults (aged ≥18 years) LTBI cases |
| Sample size | Overall, 1002 LTBI case were participated |
| Interventions | A one-way weekly text-based treatment reminder |
| Outcomes | Treatment completion was 87% in DOTS, 74% in self-administration and 76 in self-administration plus SMS reminders groups. |
| Limitations | All participants were not randomly assigned to receive SMS reminders |
| Study ID | Barclay, 2009 [46] |
| Setting | South Africa |
| Methods | A single arm interventional study from July, 2006 to April, 2007 |
| Participants | Tuberculosis patients at three clinics in the Cape Town |
| Sample size | 155 patients |
| Interventions | Text messaging using SIMpill for 10 months |
| Outcomes | Drug adherence stabilized between 86 and 92% with a treatment success rate of 94% after patients used the SIMpill for 10 months. |
| Limitations | No comparator groups |
| Study ID | bridges.org, 2005 [50] |
| Setting | South Africa |
| Methods | A single arm trial with historical control |
| Participants | All adults with pulmonary and extra pulmonary TB were included in the study |
| Sample size | About 221 TB patients were followed in single arm design |
| Interventions | A one-way text-based daily phone reminder for anti-TB medication for six and eight months |
| Outcomes | Treatment success rate was 73% in trial and 69% in the latest statistics available for the City of Cape Town’s TB Control Program |
| Limitations | No inferential statistics in treatment success rates, due to limited sample size |
| Study ID | Fang X.H. et al, 2017 [51] |
| Setting | China |
| Methods | A Randomized controlled trial was conducted from December 1, 2014 to 31, 2015 |
| Participants | All pulmonary TB patients from six districts |
| Sample size | Overall 350 (160 in intervention and 190 in control groups) |
| Interventions | A one-way text-based daily phone reminder for anti-TB medication for six months |
| Outcomes | The treatment completion rate in SMS group (96.25%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (86.84%), p-0.002 |
| Limitations | Study included few predictor variables and generalizability restricted to one province |
| Study ID | Farooqi et’al, 2015 [44] |
| Setting | Pakistan |
| Methods | Randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2014 to June 2015 |
| Participants | Patients enrolled for anti-TB drugs were distributed in intervention and control groups |
| Sample size | 148 TB patients |
| Interventions | A one-way text and graphic reminders sent daily to intervention group for two months |
| Outcomes | Primary outcome was default, defined as not taking medicine for two consecutive months. TB treatment success rate was 96.9% in intervention group and 94.26% in controls, p-0.983 |
| Limitations | Didn’t assess background knowledge of participants |
| Study ID | Johnston, et al, 2018 [52] |
| Setting | Canada |
| Methods | A parallel, randomized controlled trial |
| Participants | Adults initiating LTBI therapy between June 2012 and September 2015 |
| Sample size | Overall, the study enrolled 358 participants (170 in intervention and 188 in control arms) |
| Interventions | An interactive (two-way) text and phone call message service for LTBI adherence. |
| Outcomes | Treatment completion was 79% in intervention and 82% in control groups with RR 0.97; p = 0.550 |
| Limitations | Outcome influenced by intensive monitoring schedule of the standard care |
| Study ID | Georges B. et al, 2018 [53] |
| Setting | Cameroon |
| Methods | A randomized controlled trial conducted between February 2013 and April 2014 |
| Participants | Adults (> 18 years) and newly diagnosed PTB patients |
| Sample size | Two hundred seventy-nine participants; 137 in intervention 142 in control groups |
| Interventions | A one-way daily text-based reminder and motivational messages for six months |
| Outcomes | At five months, treatment success was 81% in intervention and 75% in control groups with OR = 1.45; p = 0.203. |
| Limitations | High attrition of participants |
| Study ID | Hermans SM. et al, 2017 [54] |
| Setting | Uganda |
| Methods | Quasi-experimental study design held between November 2010 and October 2011 |
| Participants | Adult, literate, HIV/TB patients access with mobile phone |
| Sample size | Overall 485 (183 in intervention and 302 in control groups) followed up. |
| Interventions | An interactive (two way) text-based medication and appointment reminder, and educational messages using a total of 8 SMSs per 2 weeks for two months |
| Outcomes | After 8 weeks intervention, successful completion of treatment was 93% in intervention and 89% in control groups, p-0.43. |
| Limitations | Use of pre-intervention control group prone to temporal changes could influence outcomes |
| Study ID | Kumboyono, 2017 [48] |
| Setting | Indonesia |
| Methods | A post-test-only controlled-group design |
| Participants | Adult TB patients enrolled on treatment |
| Sample size | 45 TB patients enrolled on treatment |
| Interventions | A text-based phone messaging to motivate patients |
| Outcomes | There was no difference in treatment compliance between the SMS and control groups with a p-0.059 of Fisher’s Exact test. |
| Limitations | Limited sample size |
| Study ID | Kunawararak et’al, 2011 [41] |
| Setting | Thailand |
| Methods | A two arm RCT between April 2008 and December 2009 |
| Participants | New sputum smear positive pulmonary TB patients (both non-MDR-TB and MDR-TB) Patients aged > 15 years |
| Sample size | 98 (60 Non-MDR and 38 MDR) TB patients |
| Interventions | An interactive daily phone call reminder for six and eighteen months |
| Outcomes | Treatment success Rate (TSR) was significantly higher in intervention group (100%) than control (96.7%) in non-MDR-TB, (p-0.047). |
| Limitations | Limited sample size |
| Study ID | Liu et’al, 2012 [45] |
| Setting | China |
| Methods | A pragmatic cluster-randomized trial in 36 districts. From 1 June 2011 to 7 March 2012, 4292 TB patients were enrolled across the clusters. |
| Participants | New pulmonary TB patients, starting on standard 6-month short-course chemotherapy |
| Sample size | 4292 TB patients |
| Interventions | An interactive daily text messages to reminder medications for six months |
| Outcomes | TB treatment success was 96.1% in SMS groups, 91.4% in control groups, with p-0.084 |
| Limitations | Over-estimation of poor adherence |
| Study ID | Mohammed et’al, 2013 [43] |
| Setting | Pakistan |
| Methods | A two-arm, randomized controlled trial in Karachi, Pakistan. Individual participants were randomized to either SMS or the control group. |
| Participants | Newly-diagnosed patients with smear or bacteriologically positive pulmonary tuberculosis who were on treatment for less than two weeks; ≥15 years; reported having access to a mobile phone; and intended to live in Karachi throughout treatment were eligible. The study enrolled 2207 participants, with 1110 randomized to SMS and 1097 to the control group. |
| Sample size | 2207 TB patients |
| Interventions | An interactive daily text pill reminder for six months and participants respond with SMS or missed calls after taking medication. Up to 3 SMSs sent for non-respondents a day. |
| Outcomes | There was no significant difference between the SMS or control groups for treatment success (719 or 83% vs. 903 or 83%, respectively, p = 0.782). |
| Limitations | Lack of an objective tool to measure adherence |
| Study ID | Narasimhan et’al, 2013 [47] |
| Setting | India |
| Methods | Single arm interventional study |
| Participants | TB patients seeking care from the DOTS centers |
| Sample size | 104 patients recruited, 100 patients were followed until end of treatment |
| Interventions | Text and/or voice call reminder enabled treatment adherence support system |
| Outcomes | A voice call reminder system could improve patients adherence to TB drugs |
| Limitations | The effect size of the intervention was not determined |
| Study ID | Sarah I. et al, 2013 [42] |
| Setting | Argentina |
| Methods | A randomized 1:1 allocation |
| Participants | Patients newly diagnosed with TB who were ≥ 18 years, and had mobile-phone access |
| Sample size | 38 TB patients (18 in intervention and 19 in control) |
| Interventions | An interactive bi-weekly text-based educational messages to patients to adhere to medication for the first 2 months of treatment |
| Outcomes | Treatment success was 17/18 in intervention arm and 17/19 in control arm. |
| Limitations | Baseline knowledge not addressed; use self-reporting that may bias the outcome |