ZMQ's FreedomTB: An Active Compliance System to Combat Tuberculosis

This tool from ZMQ's FreedomTB initiative is designed using a "fully-technology linked" development model that informs the tool design of a mobile phone app, the Active Compliance System, used to combat tuberculosis (TB). 

This tool, being scaled up as a project involving 3,000 patients in Mewat District of Haryana in India, links patients and the communities to support treatment of TB using:

• Mass communication: Text/SMS messages, mobile gaming, and social media engagement. 
• Training and learning tools: mobile patient training, e-learning for directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) providers, and community training tools.
• Universal management approach: open source platform, remote compliance and reporting.
• Adherence tools: active compliance system, community-led supervision tools.

The app contains a patient toolkit including treatment schedule and compliance connection, dosage tracker, TB info channel, and connection to a messaging centre. Text, voice, and video may be used for sending/receiving messages. An m-learning channel is available for the patient and for the community. The community toolkit contains observers' tools. There is also a specified DOTS provider toolkit. Edutainment tools for awareness and a channel for the MIRA health worker programme are also available. (ZMQ has a chain of health workers called MIRA workers who go from house to house, using mobile phones, to do household registrations and identify pregnant women and under 5 year children for routine immunisation.)