What is Directly Observed Therapy (DOT)?

Directly observed therapy (DOT) is a way that patients are administered their medication. Patients on DOT will meet with a health care worker every day or several times a week. They will meet at a mutually agreeable place. This can be tuberculosis (TB) clinic, at home or work, or any other convenient location.

Several Helpful Avenues

DOT helps in several ways. The health care worker can help persons remember to take their medicine and complete their treatment. This means they will get well as soon as possible. With DOT, they may need to take medicine only 2 or 3 times each week instead of every day. The health care worker will make sure that the medicine is working as it should. 

This person will also watch for side effects and answer questions you have about TB.

Continuous Observation

Even if a person is not getting DOT, they must be checked at different times to make sure everything is going well. They should see their doctor or nurse regularly while they are medicine. This will continue until they are cured.

Show All Answers

1. What is tuberculosis?
2. What are the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB)?
3. How is tuberculosis (TB) spread?
4. What happens if I have a positive skin test?
5. What will happen on my first visit?
6. What if I am diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB)?
7. How Is tuberculosis (TB) disease treated?
8. What is Directly Observed Therapy (DOT)?
9. What Is Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB)?
10. What is tuberculosis (TB) infection?
11. How can a person get tested for tuberculosis (TB)?
12. What if a person has been vaccinated with BCG?
13. What people with tuberculosis (TB) infection are at risk of developing TB disease?
14. How is tuberculosis (TB) infection treated?
15. What if a person has HIV infection?