The Global Use of Mobile Based Applications in Tuberculosis (TB) Care: A Systematic Review Protocol

Background: Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest communicable diseases despite being preventable and curable. The use of mobile phones has increased worldwide over the past decade and this has created opportunities to use mobile phones as intervention tools in health care including in promoting prevention, treatment and adherence monitoring and evaluation. However, the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to fight TB remains largely untapped. Many countries are still researching further on how to use eHealth and mHealth effectively in the fight against TB. This systematic review protocol seeks to explore the mobile based applications that are being used in TB care globally and will provide crucial information to inform programming for the national TB programme, bringing the focus on interventions that really influence improving TB outcomes.Methods: A systematic review will be conducted through online searches using comprehensive Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms in various combinations. Information sources will include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Google Scholar and PubMed. The review will be done by 2 reviewers who will resolve discrepancies through consensus. Narrative data synthesis will be done.Discussion: Analysis of the selected studies will provide information on the use of the mobile applications in TB care globally. Conclusions will be based on the best available scientific evidence. The results will provide crucial information to inform programming for the national TB programme, bringing the focus on interventions that really influence improving TB outcomes. This will result in the effective use of resources by channelling them where there is the greatest impact in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality due to TB in Zimbabwe. Systematic review protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD42020154793