TOMO: Mobile App Innovation to Support the Successful Treatment of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

For decades, tuberculosis (TB) has drawn everyone’s attention, including Indonesia’s. This is demonstrated by the high mortality rate of this infectious disease across the country. The rise of multi-drug-resistant (a tuberculosis infection that is resistant to anti-tuberculosis drugs) TB is a major global and national challenge in TB treatment.

Many mobile apps in the health sector have been created and sold as a result of the advancement of mobile technology and the invention of smartphones (mHealth). Unfortunately, mHealth applications for tuberculosis are still uncommon today. And there is always a flaw in the previous app, such as a leak of patient empowerment, follow-up reminders, medication schedules, and side effects monitoring. Furthermore, these apps do not facilitate interactions with healthcare providers that allow patients to receive clinical consultations or psychological support.

We, at the UGM Center for Tropical Medicine, are conducting a study called TB-El. TOMO (Tuberculosis Monitoring) is a product of this research. An app that will provide patients with relevant and accurate information about tuberculosis, medication reminders, and a consultation forum with doctors in hospitals. We target a variety of users, including drug-resistant TB patients, public health TB officers, hospital TB case managers, and TB clinical staff.