The Impact of TBC Application on the Work Performance of Community Nurses and Early Detection of Tuberculosis Recovery Stages
The development of information technology (IT) in healthcare has not been fully adapted by community nurses. This study aimed to determine whether the use of an IT-based application correlates with the work performance of community nurses and the early detection of tuberculosis (TB) recovery stages. The application may help expedite the early detection of TB recovery and improve the performance of community nurses. A cross-sectional design was employed using an Android-based application called the TB-CDINI Application, which was accessible at https://tb-cdini.com/login. The independent variable (use of the TBC application) is hypothesized to have an effect on the two dependent variables (work performance and early detection). Inclusion criteria included community nurses with experience handling TB cases, while exclusion criteria were nurses without TB patient care experience. Data were collected randomly from community nurses who participated in a webinar on TB nursing (n = 248). The questionnaire gathered demographic, TB-related, and IT-related data. Data analysis included univariate and bivariate analyses conducted using SPSS software, with Pearson's correlation test applied. The results indicated that most community nurses (83%) had experience treating TB patients. They reported that the disappearance of symptoms such as cough, dyspnea, fever, weakness, tiredness, night sweats, and weight loss could signify recovery (65.7%). Identified challenges included limited understanding of the app (10.5%), poor network coverage (3.2%), lack of training (2.4%), and varying perceptions of the app’s benefits (56.8%). The Pearson correlation test yielded a p-value of 0.018 (<0.05), with a positive correlation coefficient of 0.721, indicating a strong and positive relationship between the use of the TB-CDINI application and the early detection of TB recovery stages. In conclusion, the use of the TB-CDINI application had a significant impact on the early detection of TB recovery stages. It can serve as a valuable tool for community nurses. Future research should prioritize practical applications with TB patients, covering usage protocols, data recording, reporting procedures, maintenance requirements and field-based evaluation.