Video remote monitoring for directly observed therapy stems TB outbreak in Puerto Rico

Emocha is one of a few companies that have developed a way to digitize directly observed therapy, or DOT, for conditions such as drug-resistant tuberculosis and Hepatitis C. It means that people using its technology can take their medication remotely, record themselves doing it with a smartphone and transmit that video to a healthcare professional to demonstrate their adherence.
The Johns Hopkins-backed mobile health company’s remote monitoring approach to DOT was recently applied to a mental health facility for men in Puerto Rico that’s had recurrent outbreaks of TB since 2010. The study was highlighted in a report by the Centers for Disease Control.
Emocha’s video DOT tool was deployed about one year ago, just before Christmas. By May 19, the 11 active TB patients and six latent TB patients using emocha demonstrated clinical improvements. The outbreak was declared contained by the Puerto Rico Department of Health earlier this year.