directly observed therapy


directly observed therapy (DOT),

visual monitoring by a health care worker of patients' ingestion of medications, to ensure compliance in difficult or long-term regimens, such as in oral treatment for tuberculosis; a contentious aspect of some WHO programs.

directly observed therapy

Therapeutics A strategy for ensuring Pt compliance with therapy, where a health care worker or designee watches the Pt swallow each dose of prescribed drugs. See Patient compliance. Cf Directed observation.

directly observed therapy

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DOT

Oral administration of a drug or of drugs to a patient under supervision to ensure the drug is swallowed. DOT is esp. important in treating patients with infectious diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis) in which development of drug-resistant microorganisms is likely to threaten public health if the drug is not taken exactly as prescribed.