BACKGROUND: Video Observed Therapy (VOT) has been proposed as an alternative to Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis (TB) treatment as prior studies have demonstrated similar adherence rates. This study evaluated patient experiences with VOT after it became a standard practice in Calgary, Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Patients ? 18 years with drug-susceptible TB between March and December 2020 were asked to complete a patient satisfaction survey. Twenty-two survey statements were based on previously identified themes of service quality as it pertains to VOT (examples: confidentiality, convenience) with a Likert scale of agreement (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree).

RESULTS: A total of 34 participants completed the survey out of 122 eligible patients (mean age 47 years, 50% females). The majority of participants strongly agreed that VOT was easy to use and convenient (median 5, IQR 1 for both). Participants disagreed that they had connection issues during VOT (median 2, IQR 2). 38% of participants preferred a VOT schedule outside of usual clinic hours (median 3, IQR 1). Participants strongly agreed that VOT maintained their confidentiality (median 5, IQR 1). 83% of participants would recommend VOT to other patients instead of DOT (median 5, IQR 1). Adherence compared to those on DOT during the pre-pandemic period did not differ (VOT 95.5% versus DOT 94.8%, p=0.74).

CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction rates were high with VOT. A significant proportion indicated a preference to take medications by VOT outside of usual clinic hours, highlighting asynchronous VOT as a potential intervention to further enhance patient-centered care.