Build Pillar of NSP: Digital Information Ecosystem for TB Care

The digital information ecosystem under National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) has played a crucial role in surveillance and programme monitoring.

It envisages information capture in real-time, processed and visualized, enabling efficient service delivery and responsive program management, driving TB elimination. 

Nikshay, Nikshay Aushadi, Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), TB Arogya Sathi and other digital portals have been strengthened during the 2017-20 period.

Figure: Current Digital Landscape; Source: National Strategic Plan to End TB in India 2020-25, v7 28.08.2020 (Draft Copy).

Key Features 

Nikshay

1. It is a TB Patient Management Tool across public and private sectors, used throughout the patient lifecycle related to testing (diagnosis and follow up), treatment initiation, public health action (contact tracing, comorbidities), adherence monitoring, outcomes, transfer and referral for testing and treatment across India, along with reporting of activities like active case finding.
2. For adherence monitoring, Nikshay has an adherence toolkit integrated with the various digital adherence monitoring technologies such as 99 DOTS, MERM and VOT.
3. The entire TB care cascade from referral for testing and notification, to outcome declaration and all dropout events, are tracked and monitored.
4. Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) under Nikshay enable the electronic transfer of benefits directly to the bank account of beneficiaries.
5. Management of information of health facilities, reporting hierarchy, staff and treatment supporters working for the programme.

Nikshay Aushadhi enables management of the supply chain of anti-TB drugs from the centre to final dispensing to the patient, along with workflows of indent, drug request, procurement, forecasting and reporting.

Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) automates the processes at TB Culture and Drug Susceptibility Testing (CDST) laboratories from specimen receipt, decontamination, sample preparation and performing the additional test and specimen-specific workflows.

Nikshay Sampark Application manages the workflows and reporting needs of the call centre. It enables recording of the incoming/ outgoing call details handled by the agents and therefore, facilitates reporting on the type/ volumes of calls handled and monitoring of the performance and quality of services delivered by the call centre.

TB Aarogya Sathi is for citizens as well as patients registered under Nikshay. It provides information related to TB, symptoms, side effects, health facilities providing TB services, nutritional assessment of the user based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and Nikshay Sampark.

Future Plans 

Pillar 1 Build proposes to further strengthen and sustain an enabling environment for TB elimination.

• Establish the National Knowledge Cell under Central TB Division (CTD), equipped with resources to develop and maintain information technology systems, manage and use real-time information for programme management, study TB epidemiology, information dissemination, training, and managing the National TB Call Centre.
• As per the National Strategic Plan 2020-25, there are five proposed focus areas for taking up the various Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based development initiatives as follows:
  • Maintain the existing systems at scale and sustenance
  • Strengthen NTEP’s information systems further, to support the increasing demands of the programme to accelerate India’s campaign to eliminate TB from India by 2025.
  • Upgrade to achieve state-of-the-art technical solution design
  • Introduce a greater automation portfolio and innovation
  • Align with the National Digital Health Blueprint.

Resources

• National Strategic Plan to End TB in India 2020-25, v7 28.08.2020 (Draft Copy).

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