Impact of telemonitoring approaches on integrated HIV and TB diagnosis and treatment interventions in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

Background: This paper explores telemonitoring approaches as a promising real time and contextual strategy in improving HIV and TB interventions, quality access and uptake, retention, adherence and coverage impact in endemic and epidemic prone-regions.

Methods: A scoping review design was applied to synthesize telemonitoring HIV and TB information indexed in peer reviewed journal hubs to identify relevant articles pertaining to telemonitoring as a proxy surrogate method in reinforcing sustainability of HIV/TB prevention and treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. The following research indexing hubs were used for the search: Medline, Embase, Global Health, PubMed, MeSH PsycInfo, Scopus and Google Scholar. The articles selected were used to foster evidence of telemonitoring/mhealth diagnosis, treatment of HIV and TB prevention and control approaches.

Results: We found telemonitoring approaches as a convenient and sustained proxy-method of HIV and TB risk reduction strategies including early diagnosis and prompt quality clinical outcomes. This has shown to significantly contribute in decreasing health systems/patients cost, long waiting time in clinics, hospital visits, travels and time off/on from work.

Conclusion: Telemonitoring/mhealth (electronic phone text/video/materials messaging) adoption, integration, acceptability, access and uptake are crucial in monitoring and improving HIV and TB uptake, retention, adherence and coverage in both local and national interventions programs. Improved integrated HIV and TB telemonitoring sustainability hold great promises in health systems strengthening including patient early centered diagnosis and care delivery, uptake and retention in medications/ services and improvement of patients’ quality of life.