Digitization as a Key Tool for Ensuring Data Quality and Improvement of the TB Program in Ethiopia
Digitization as a Key Tool for Ensuring Data Quality and Improvement of the TB Program in Ethiopia
Digital technologies are increasingly being harnessed to support the treatment of people with tuberculosis (TB). The many applications of digitalization for TB program improvement have therefore been explored and used by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Eliminate TB Project in Ethiopia. The use of digital tools for supportive supervision and data quality improvements in health facilities and at the district, regional, and national levels could be part of the future solution to the TB program in Ethiopia. To improve the quality of supervision and monitoring, and to measure performance and epidemiology in the TB program, the project has introduced/adopted digital tools such as the electronic Standard of Care (e‑SoC), GeneXpert connectivity solutions, Electronic Supportive Supervision (E‑SS), the drug‑resistant TB (DR‑TB) Tracker, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). These tools feature dashboards with the aim of increasing data visibility and utilization. They have been applied, with promising results, to all parts of the TB patient pathway to support patient care, surveillance and monitoring, and TB program management.