Designing a Tuberculosis E-Screening Tool for Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Aims Indonesia is ranked as the 2nd highest country with tuberculosis burden worldwide. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is among the top five causes of death in Indonesia. Patients with DM are facing an elevated risk of tuberculosis. Private primary care centers contribute only up to 0.6% of the reported tuberculosis cases. To enhance tuberculosis notification rates, we developed an electronic tuberculosis screening tool for DM patients within private primary care centers. Instrument & Methods The initial phase of this descriptive study employed a quantitative approach, utilizing secondary data analysis from the RISKESDAS database to discern tuberculosis prevalence in DM patients. The second phase adopted a qualitative approach, incorporating interviews with private primary care centers regarding the current tuberculosis reporting process. The third stage involved system development of the e-screening tool. The fourth stage was a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of the e-screening tool prototype in increasing tuberculosis notification rates among DM patients. Two private primary care centers served as a setting to conduct the pilot project. Findings There were 33 patients with a high risk for tuberculosis. These patients were referred to the nearest Puskesmas for further tests. Ultimately, two patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis in four weeks of e-screening trial tests. Conclusion This research led to the development of a TB e-screening tool for DM patients, intended to improve tuberculosis notification rates in private primary care centers.