Utility and acceptability of text messages for PMTCT: a qualitative assessment of user experiences (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda Brown ◽  
May Maloba ◽  
Catherine Wexler ◽  
Natabhona Mabachi ◽  
Sharon Koech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Women Living With Hiv ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Evidence that text messages can support patient adherence to HIV care is growing. We conducted a pilot study of the HIV Infant Tracking System (HITSystem 2.0), an intervention that includes SMS to patients to support maternal medication adherence, appointment attendance, and hospital-based deliveries during the antenatal period. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to qualitatively assess women’s experiences receiving SMS to understand message utility and acceptability with the goal of refining and strengthening the intervention. METHODS As part of an intervention development pilot study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 women living with HIV who received SMS through the HITSystem 2.0 throughout their pregnancy and postpartum period. Interview questions assessed women’s feedback of the SMS, the impact of the SMS on their PMTCT care, and suggestions for improvement. RESULTS Participants described how SMS reinforced existing strategies for medication adherence and served as cues to action for antenatal appointments and hospital-based deliveries. SMS also provided encouragement and enhanced their sense of engagement with their clinical care team. Given the neutral content of the messages, most women reported no concerns about message confidentiality. Recommendations to enhance utility included greater customizability (timing and frequency of messages) and a few women suggested more comprehensive counseling regarding the SMS content to anticipate at the time of enrollment. CONCLUSIONS SMS content was deemed useful and acceptable by pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV and engaged in PMTCT services. Participant recommendations to increase message customization options have been adopted to enhance the intervention. CLINICALTRIAL Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02726607. Registered 01 April 2016. Retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02726607

scholarly journals Text Message Medication Adherence Reminders Automated and Delivered at Scale Across Two Institutions: Testing the Nudge System: Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phat Luong ◽  
Thomas J. Glorioso ◽  
Gary K. Grunwald ◽  
Pamela Peterson ◽  
Larry A. Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Medication Refill ◽  
The Impact

Background: Medication refill behavior in patients with cardiovascular diseases is suboptimal. Brief behavioral interventions called Nudges may impact medication refill behavior and can be delivered at scale to patients using text messaging. Methods: Patients who were prescribed and filled at least one medication for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and coronary artery disease were identified for the pilot study. Patients eligible for the pilot (N=400) were enrolled with an opportunity to opt out. In phase I of the pilot, we tested text message delivery to 60 patients. In phase II, we tested intervention feasibility by identifying those with refill gap of ≥7 days and randomized them to intervention or control arms. Patients were texted Nudges and assessed whether they refilled their medications. Results: Of 400 patients sent study invitations, 56 (14%) opted out. In phase I, we successfully delivered text messages to 58 of 60 patients and captured patient responses via text. In phase II, 207 of 286 (72.4%) patients had a medication gap ≥7 days for one or more cardiovascular medications and were randomized to intervention or control. Enrolled patients averaged 61.7 years old, were primarily male (69.1%) and White (72.5%) with hypertension being the most prevalent qualifying condition (78.7%). There was a trend towards intervention patients being more likely to refill at least 1 gapping medication (30.6% versus 18.0%; P =0.12) and all gapping medications (17.8% versus 10.0%; P =0.27). Conclusions: It is possible to set up automated processes within health care delivery systems to identify patients with gaps in medication adherence and send Nudges to facilitate medication refills. Text message Nudges could potentially be a feasible and effective method to facilitate medication refills. A large multi-site randomized trial to determine the impact of text-based Nudges on overall CVD morbidity and mortality is now underway to explore this further. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03973931.

scholarly journals Community-Based Accompaniment for Adolescents Transitioning to Adult HIV Care in Urban Peru: a Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Vargas ◽  
Milagros Wong ◽  
Carly A. Rodriguez ◽  
Hugo Sanchez ◽  
Jerome Galea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Transition Readiness ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Living With Hiv

AbstractIntroductionAdolescents living with HIV (ALWH) face an elevated risk of poor health outcomes when transitioning into adult-oriented care; however, evidence-based interventions to support ALWH during this high-risk period are lacking, especially in Latin America. We conducted a pilot study of a community-based intervention designed to improve outcomes among ALWH transitioning to adult HIV care in Lima, Peru.MethodsFrom October 2019 to January 2020, we enrolled adolescents transitioning to adult HIV care, either due to a recent diagnosis or having aged out of their pediatric clinic. ALWH previously lost from care during the transition process were also invited to participate. The nine-month intervention consisted of (1) logistical, adherence and social support delivered by entry-level health workers who accompanied adolescents during their transition to adult HIV care and (2) group sessions to improve health-related knowledge, skills and social support. We assessed intervention feasibility and effectiveness in improving medication adherence, psycho-social outcomes, and transition readiness after 6, 9, and 12 months.ResultsWe enrolled 30 ALWH, ages 15-21 years; 11 were recently diagnosed and 19 had been living with HIV since infancy or early childhood. Participants included ten men who have sex with men, four young pregnant women and six adolescents who were previously lost during the transition to adult HIV care. Intervention participation was high with 90% of ALWH attending at least one in-person social support session and all attending at least one live online session. No ALWH withdrew from the intervention, study, or antiretroviral therapy. In transition readiness, we observed within-person improvements related to personal health (+1.9 points, p<0.001), healthcare usage (+2.4 points, p<0.001), knowledge (+3.3 points, p=0.001), and behavior (+3 points, p=0.003) at the end of the intervention, relative to baseline. We also observed strong evidence of improvements in medication adherence, social support, self-efficacy, and perceived stress, which were generally sustained three months after intervention cessation.ConclusionWe identified a community-based intervention that is feasible and potentially effective for bridging the transition to adult HIV care among a diverse group of ALWH in Peru. A larger-scale effectiveness evaluation, including biological endpoints, is warranted.

scholarly journals “I Found Out I was Pregnant, and I Started Feeling Stressed”: A Longitudinal Qualitative Perspective of Mental Health Experiences Among Perinatal Women Living with HIV

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Tuthill ◽  
Ann E. Maltby ◽  
Belinda C. Odhiambo ◽  
Eliud Akama ◽  
Jennifer A. Pellowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women Living With Hiv ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽  
Health Experiences ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Perinatal Women

AbstractGlobally, depressive symptoms among pregnant and postpartum (i.e., perinatal) women living with HIV (WLWH) are alarmingly high and associated with poor outcomes such as suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Few qualitative studies have described the experience of perinatal depression among WLWH to identify the underlying social-structural determinants of poor mental health and potential strategies to intervene. We conducted a longitudinal qualitative study applying semi-structured interviews with 30 WLWH at three timepoints (28–38 weeks pregnant, 6-weeks postpartum and 5–7 months postpartum) to understand mental health experiences of perinatal WLWH in western Kenya. Financial insecurity emerged as the central theme impacting the mental health of women across time. Financial insecurity was often attributed to the loss of employment, related to pregnancy and the demands of breastfeeding and caring for an infant, as well as a lack of support from male partners. The loss of income and subsequent financial strain contributed to worsening levels of food insecurity and relationship stress and challenged engagement in HIV care. In this way, increased financial strain during the perinatal period negatively impacted the mental health of perinatal WLWH. Our findings suggest support to meet basic needs and remain engaged in HIV care during pregnancy and postpartum could improve perinatal mental health for WLWH in this setting.

The impact of tailored text messages on health beliefs and medication adherence in adults with diabetes: A randomized pilot study

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Gatwood ◽  
Rajesh Balkrishnan ◽  
Steven R. Erickson ◽  
Lawrence C. An ◽  
John D. Piette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Attitudes, Beliefs, and Willingness Toward the Use of mHealth Tools for Medication Adherence in the Florida mHealth Adherence Project for People Living With HIV (FL-mAPP): Pilot Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie P Morano ◽  
Kevin Clauson ◽  
Zhi Zhou ◽  
César G Escobar-Viera ◽  
Spencer Lieb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
School Level ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND Antiretroviral (ART) adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH) continues to be a challenge despite advances in HIV prevention and treatment. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are increasingly deployed as tools for ART adherence. However, little is known about the uptake and attitudes toward commercially available, biprogrammatic mobile apps (ie, designed for both smartphone and short message service [SMS] messaging) among demographically diverse PLWH. OBJECTIVES The Florida mHealth Adherence Project for PLWH (FL-mAPP) is an innovative pilot study that aimed to determine the acceptability of a commercially available, biprogrammatic mHealth intervention platform to ensure medication adherence and gauge the current attitudes of PLWH toward current and future mHealth apps. METHODS A predeveloped, commercially available, biprogrammatic mHealth platform (Care4Today Mobile Health Manager, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ) was deployed, with self-reported ART adherence recorded in the app and paper survey at both short term (30-day) or long-term (90-day) follow-ups. Consented participants completed baseline surveys on sociodemographics and attitudes, beliefs, and willingness toward the use of mHealth interventions for HIV care using a 5-point Likert scale. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified correlations with successful uptake of the mHealth platform. RESULTS Among 132 PLWH, 66% (n=87) initially agreed to use the mHealth platform, of which 54% (n=47) successfully connected to the platform. Of the 87 agreeing to use the mHealth platform, we found an approximate 2:1 ratio of persons agreeing to try the smartphone app (n=59) versus the SMS text messages (n=28). Factors correlating with mHealth uptake were above high school level education (adjusted odds ratio 2.65; P=.05), confidence that a clinical staff member would assist with mHealth app use (adjusted odds ratio 2.92, P=.048), belief that PLWH would use such an mHealth app (adjusted odds ratio 2.89; P=.02), and ownership of a smartphone in contrast to a “flip-phone” model (adjusted odds ratio 2.80; P=.05). Of the sample, 70.2% (n=92) reported daily interest in receiving medication adherence reminders via an app (80.4% users versus 64.7% nonusers), although not significantly different among the user groups (P=.06). In addition, 34.8% (n=16) of mHealth users reported a theoretical “daily” interest and 68.2% (n=58) of non-mHealth users reported no interest in using an mHealth app for potentially tracking alcohol or drug intake (P=.002). CONCLUSIONS This commercially available, biprogrammatic mHealth platform showed feasibility and efficacy for enhanced ART and medication adherence within public health clinics and successfully included older age groups. Successful use of the platform among demographically diverse PLWH is important for HIV implementation science and promising for uptake on a larger scale.

scholarly journals A Pilot Study of a Mobile Intervention to Support Mental Health and Adherence Among Adolescents Living with HIV in Western Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Chory ◽  
Grant Callen ◽  
Winstone Nyandiko ◽  
Tabitha Njoroge ◽  
Celestine Ashimosi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Individual Counseling ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Living With Hiv

AbstractMobile technologies represent potentially novel and scalable intervention delivery platforms for adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a prospective, mixed methods pilot study to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the WhatsApp® platform to deliver individual counseling services and facilitate peer support for ALWH in western Kenya. Thirty ALWH (17 female, mean age 15.4) on ART, engaged in HIV care and aware of their status, were enrolled. After 6 months, participants described their experiences with the intervention. Treatment adherence, stigma, and mental and behavioral health were assessed prospectively. Participants reported overall positive experiences and indicated that the platform encouraged peer network development. They endorsed potential benefits for treatment adherence, stigma reduction, and mental and behavioral health. All participants supported intervention expansion. In western Kenya, WhatsApp® was an acceptable and feasible platform for mobile counseling and peer support for ALWH.

scholarly journals Couples-focused intervention to improve engagement in HIV care: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e037468
Author(s):  
Alyssa Paige Tabrisky ◽  
Lara S Coffin ◽  
David P Olem ◽  
Torsten B Neilands ◽  
Mallory O'Neill Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Virological Suppression ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Engagement In Care ◽  
Engagement In Hiv Care ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Counselling Intervention

Introduction Advances in HIV treatment have proven to be effective in increasing virological suppression, thereby decreasing morbidity, and increasing survival. Medication adherence is an important factor in reducing viral load among people living with HIV (PLWH) and in the elimination of transmission of HIV to uninfected partners. Achieving optimal medication adherence involves individuals taking their medications every day or as prescribed by their provider. However, not all PLWH in the USA are engaged in care, and only a minority have achieved suppressed viral load (viral load that is lower than the detectable limit of the assay). Sexual and gender minorities (SGM; those who do not identify as heterosexual or those who do not identify as the sex they were assigned at birth) represent a high-risk population for poor clinical outcomes and increased risk of HIV transmission, as they face barriers that can prevent optimal engagement in HIV care. Research in dyadic support, specifically within primary romantic partnerships, offers a promising avenue to improving engagement in care and treatment outcomes among SGM couples. Dyadic interventions, especially focused on primary romantic partnerships, have the potential to have a sustained impact after the structured intervention ends. Methods and analysis This paper describes the protocol for a randomised control trial of a theory-grounded, piloted intervention (DuoPACT) that cultivates and leverages the inherent sources of support within primary romantic relationships to improve engagement in HIV care and thus clinical outcomes among persons who are living with HIV and who identify as SGM (or their partners). Eligible participants must report being in a primary romantic relationship for at least 3 months, speak English, at least one partner must identify as a sexual or gender minority and at least one partner must be HIV+ with suboptimal engagement in HIV care, defined as less than excellent medication adherence, having not seen a provider in at least the past 8 months, having a detectable or unknown viral load or not currently on antiretroviral therapy. Eligible consenting couples are allocated equally to the two study arms: a structured six-session couples counselling intervention (DuoPACT) or a three-session individually-delivered HIV adherence counselling intervention (LifeSteps). The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of DuoPACT on virological suppression among HIV+ members of SGM couples with suboptimal engagement in care. The DuoPACT study began its target enrolment of 150 couples (300 individuals) in August 2017, and will continue to enrol until June 2021. Ethics and dissemination All procedures are approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of California, San Francisco. Written informed consent is obtained from all participants at enrolment, and study progress is reviewed twice yearly by an external Safety Monitoring Committee. Dissemination activities will include formal publications and report back sessions with the community. Trial registration number NCT02925949; Pre-results.

scholarly journals Consequences of COVID-19 crisis for persons with HIV: the impact of social determinants of health

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristie C. Waterfield ◽  
Gulzar H. Shah ◽  
Gina D. Etheredge ◽  
Osaremhen Ikhile
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Persons Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background With the indiscriminate spread of COVID-19 globally, many populations are experiencing negative consequences such as job loss, food insecurity, and inability to manage existing medical conditions and maintain preventive measures such as social distancing and personal preventative equipment. Some of the most disadvantaged in the COVID-19 era are people living with HIV/AIDS and other autoimmune diseases. Discussion As the number of new HIV infections decrease globally, many subpopulations remain at high risk of infection due to lack of or limited access to prevention services, as well as clinical care and treatment. For persons living with HIV or at higher risk of contracting HIV, including persons who inject drugs or men that have sex with men, the risk of COVID-19 infection increases if they have certain comorbidities, are older than 60 years of age, and are homeless, orphaned, or vulnerable children. The risk of COVID-19 is also more significant for those that live in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, rural, and/or poverty-stricken areas. An additional concern for those living the HIV is the double stigma that may arise if they also test positive for COVID-19. As public health and health care workers try to tackle the needs of the populations that they serve, they are beginning to realize the need for a change in the infrastructure that will include more efficient partnerships between public health, health care, and HIV programs. Conclusion Persons living with HIV that also have other underlying comorbidities are a great disadvantage from the negative consequences of COVID-19. For those that may test positive for both HIV and COVID-19, the increased psychosocial burdens stemming from stress and isolation, as well as, experiencing additional barriers that inhibit access to care, may cause them to become more disenfranchised. Thus, it becomes very important during the current pandemic for these challenges and barriers to be addressed so that these persons living with HIV can maintain continuity of care, as well as, their social and mental support systems.

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