Devi Ristian Octavia1 
,
Primanitha Ria Utami1,
Abdul Rokhman2
For correspondence:- Devi Octavia Email: deviristian@umla.ac.id Tel:+62 813-2999-5223
Received: 12 January 2026 Accepted: 18 April 2026 Published: 30 April 2026
Citation: Octavia DR, Utami PR, Rokhman A. Bridging distance in tuberculosis care: The role of telecounseling in improving treatment adherence and quality of life. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(4):561-567 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v25i4.13
© 2026 The authors.
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Purpose: To determine whether telecounseling could effectively improve treatment adherence and enhance the quality of life of patients with tuberculosis (TB). Method: The study adopted a quantitative quasi-experimental design involving a non-equivalent control group. Sixty patients diagnosed with tuberculosis were recruited through simple random sampling and subsequently allocated into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received telecounseling delivered via WhatsApp for a period of one month, while the control group continued to receive routine care based on the standard procedures of the Puskesmas. Treatment adherence was assessed using the MARS-5 instrument, and the quality of life of the patients was evaluated using the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Posttest measurements were conducted on the 30th day, and statistical analysis of the data was conducted using the Mann–Whitney test. Results: The intervention group demonstrated a 6.6 % increase in medication adherence and a 20 % improvement in quality of life, while control group did not show any noticeable improvement. Conclusion: Telecounseling effectively improves medication adherence and quality of life in TB patients and should be integrated into TB treatment services.
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