Digital Diagnostics in Tuberculosis Diagnosis: A Systematic Literature Review in South African Hospitals

Digital diagnostics in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis have emerged as a promising tool for improving diagnostic accuracy and timeliness in South African hospitals. A comprehensive search was conducted using electronic databases to identify relevant studies. Studies were screened based on inclusion criteria and assessed for quality using established tools. The review identified a total of 45 studies, with a significant proportion (60%) reporting improved diagnostic accuracy when digital diagnostics were employed compared to traditional methods. Digital diagnostics showed potential in enhancing the efficiency and precision of TB diagnosis in South African settings. Future research should focus on establishing standardised protocols for implementation. Healthcare providers are encouraged to implement digital ECG technology alongside existing diagnostic practices, with ongoing evaluation to ensure optimal performance. Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.