Tele TB: use of telemedicine as a TB adaptive strategy of newly enrolled pulmonary tuberculosis patients in barangay Paliparan III TB DOTS Center Dasmariñas, Cavite

Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Philippines had the fourth highest Tuberculosis (TB) burden in the world in terms of the number of TB cases, contributing 6% of the total global burden of TB. WHO probed that these COVID- 19 related interruptions in access to TB care had caused an increase in TB mortality. TB was one of the leading infectious killers in the globe. This threat encouraged the researcher to implement strategies to develop a project that will help lessen the TB Burden especially in Barangay Paliparan III TB DOTS Center City of Dasmarinas. The project introduced a telemedicine program for the newly admitted tuberculosis patient as one of the adaptive strategies instead of having a traditional face to face consultation. The project was divided into four phases: the assessment phase, an initial face to face interview of residents through a questionnaire and consultative meeting discussion, planning phase and intervention phase. The last phase was the monitoring and evaluation. Assessment showed the readiness and openness of the patient when it comes to the telemedicine program by signing the informed consent after the orientation. Substantial interventions included eight sessions of telemedicine with health teaching in which success was measured with post evaluation survey scores. The scores revealed a reasonable outcome. The community was also assisted through the development of a TB Playbook which consisted of different health education regarding Tuberculosis conferred during every session. The project was then endorsed to the community, along with a sustainability plan that also comprised a continuous health education campaign, referral system, as well as monitoring and evaluation to be presented to the local health board. The researcher as part of the City Health Office will continue the telemedicine approach and will endorse the playbook to the other health officers