Counselling and Care on Call: The Story of the TB Careline

Abstract

This case study documents the journey of a free-of-cost phone-based TB Careline Program based in a modest office of single room in Dharward that counsels TB patients and provides information about the disease to those opting for the service. Besides, it links the patients back to treatment if they discontinue and provide feedback to the providers about their patient status. First part of the case study discusses the background and evolution of the TB careline program earlier known as' Mitra' that was born out of an intervention conducted under Strengthening Health Outcomes Through the Private Sector (SHOPS) in 2014. It also shows how the intervention has managed to sustain over a period of time and then goes on to discuss the impact it has created in terms of providing care to the TB patients. The process of counselling and care begins when a patient with a Careline card is instructed to give a missed call on +91 7349778223. A care line counsellor returns the call. First call is the introductory call, subsquently the first session begins. The TB careline has registered 15,989 patients between 2014 to 2020. During this period 7,241 patients have completed treatment and 2,552 patients are under active care. The service is flexible and adaptable to the needs of the patient and requirements of the health systems. One of the important learnings from the case study is use of technology to offer a personalized approach to prevention, care and support without removing the human connect and making it acceptable to the patient and caregiver. This type of interventions are especially important when treatment period is long with mandatory dosage and road to recovery is long and is made more difficult by socio-economic factors like poverty, malnutrition and stigmatization.