Table 3.
Main themes, definitions and count by participant (n=12).
| Themes | Definition | N (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation | ||
| Cure | No longer being TB positive· | 5 (42) |
| Safety of others | Possibility of infecting others· | 4 (33) |
| Loved one's involvement/support | Being held accountable and reminding from people in patient's life· | 3 (25) |
| Being remotely monitored | Application creates sense of accountability· | 3 (25) |
| Seeing the progress of treatment | Updated view of treatment as days were completed· | 1 (8) |
| Helping others | Contributing to future patient's experience· | 1 (8) |
| What worked | ||
| Easy to use app | Simple to navigate app and/or did not take a lot of time· | 10 (83) |
| Helpful for tracking and reminding | Registering the medication was helpful in adherence and served as a reminder of responsibility to report· | 8 (67) |
| Access to the treatment supporter | Having the treatment supporter available for issues/questions was useful and effective· | 7 (58) |
| Routine | Establishing a schedule for medication was useful in adherence· | 7 (58) |
| Calendar tracking | The calendar was useful for viewing progress and noting any missed medication days· | 7 (58) |
| Side effect management | Supportive medication helped mitigate TB drug side effects· | 5 (42) |
| Being supported from afar | Feeling like you had help from afar· | 3 (20) |
| Education on disease and treatment | The TB information provided in the app was useful and relevant· | 3 (25) |
| Report confirmation | Good confirmation of report submitted· | 3 (25) |
| Messaging to pick up supplies | It was used when needing to pick up supplies, mainly test-strip and sometimes medication· | 3 (25) |
| Test-strip | Confirming medication having been taken and initial teaching of how to perform· | 2 (17) |
| Trying again later | If app did not appear to be functioning, a solution was trying again later· | 2 (17) |
| Forum discussion | Having the open dialogue for anyone to participate helped with knowledge· | 1 (8) |
| Taking preventative measures | Being on top of medication supply· | 1 (8) |
| Issues | ||
| Test-strip | The main difficulties with test-strip was initially figuring out the ideal timing for color change and waiting approval· Treatment supporter helped instruct proper use· | 5 (42) |
| Treatment supporter hours of availability | Test result interpretation delays were noted – expected quicker response times or additional treatment supporter hours of availability | 4 (33) |
| Wi-Fi/Internet access | Inconsistent availability of either Wi-Fi or Internet affected access to app at times· | 4 (4) |
| Inexperience with mobile phones | Lack of familiarity using phones· | 3 (25) |
| Report did not go through | The reporting process was completed, and it did not register in app requiring additional attempts· | 2 (17) |
| Forgotten password | If password was lost some difficulties occurred· | 2 (17) |
| Errors in internationalization | Date not formatted in local standard; month and day switched· | 2 (17) |
| Back button placement | Issue with the app's back-button location and home button of the phone· | 1 (8) |
| Decreased motivation for test-strip | As time went on the test strip became less important· | 1 (8) |
| Primary TB provider unaware of app intervention | The care providers of TB treatment were not aware of application existence· | 1 (8) |
| Recommendations | ||
| App for others | Useful for others completing TB treatment· | 8 (67) |
| Alarm | A built-in alarm would be helpful to tailor to the person's routine· | 4 (33) |
| Discussion forum | Discussion forum is a useful tool· | 2 (17) |
| Treatment supporter 24 hours | Increasing response time past day hours· | 1 (8) |
| Event organization | An event organizer, such as appointments or in-person visits, with reminders could be helpful· | 1 (8) |
| Test-strip instructions | Provide clear test strip instructions e·g·, duration to leave in urine and meaning of results· | 1 (8) |
| Test-strip design | Add mark for where urine should reach on test | 1 (8) |
| Function without internet | Use the app without Internet and upload once connected· | 1 (8) |