scholarly journals A Web-Based Study of Dog Ownership and Depression Among People Living With HIV (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail L Muldoon ◽  
Lisa M Kuhns ◽  
Julie Supple ◽  
Kristen C Jacobson ◽  
Robert Garofalo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Dog Ownership ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Dog Owners

BACKGROUND People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) are approximately twice as likely to be depressed compared with HIV-negative individuals. Depression is consistently associated with low antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, an important step within the HIV care continuum related to HIV disease progression and overall health. One factor that may have positive psychosocial benefits and promote ART adherence is dog ownership. Research indicates that dog ownership is associated with lower depression, and initial evidence suggests its positive impact on psychosocial outcomes for PLHIV. OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to expand the existing research by examining the relationship between current dog ownership and depression for a sample of PLHIV while controlling for demographic characteristics and other potential confounders. METHODS Participants aged 18 years or older and who self-reported an HIV diagnosis were recruited via social media into When Dogs Heal, a cross-sectional Web-based survey to collect data among adult PLHIV. The research visit was conducted via a Web-based survey, and there was no in-person interaction with the participant. Primary outcome measures included demographic questions (age, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation), pet ownership (type of pet owned and current dog ownership), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, 10 items), and resilience (Resilience Research Centre Adult Resilience Measure, 28 items). RESULTS A total of 252 participants were enrolled into the study in January 2016, with a final analytic sample of 199 participants. Mean age was 49 years, 86.4% (172/199) of participants were male, and 80.4% (160/199) were white. Current dog ownership was prevalent among the sample (68.3%, 136/199). Bivariate analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between depression and demographic characteristics (age, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation), with P>.05. The multivariate logistic regression, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, resilience, and current dog ownership, was significant, with P<.001. Of the 6 predictor variables, only 2 were statistically significant: dog ownership and resilience. Noncurrent dog owners had 3 times higher odds of depression in comparison with current dog owners: odds ratio 3.01; 95% CI 1.54-6.21. CONCLUSIONS Growing evidence suggests that dog ownership reduces the likelihood of depression and, therefore, may confer long-term health benefits on PLHIV. Future studies should explore whether dog-specific interventions are a feasible and efficacious intervention to improve outcomes among PLHIV.

scholarly journals A Web-Based Study of Dog Ownership and Depression Among People Living With HIV

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. e53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail L Muldoon ◽  
Lisa M Kuhns ◽  
Julie Supple ◽  
Kristen C Jacobson ◽  
Robert Garofalo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Dog Ownership ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Dog Owners

Background People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) are approximately twice as likely to be depressed compared with HIV-negative individuals. Depression is consistently associated with low antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, an important step within the HIV care continuum related to HIV disease progression and overall health. One factor that may have positive psychosocial benefits and promote ART adherence is dog ownership. Research indicates that dog ownership is associated with lower depression, and initial evidence suggests its positive impact on psychosocial outcomes for PLHIV. Objective The aim of our study was to expand the existing research by examining the relationship between current dog ownership and depression for a sample of PLHIV while controlling for demographic characteristics and other potential confounders. Methods Participants aged 18 years or older and who self-reported an HIV diagnosis were recruited via social media into When Dogs Heal, a cross-sectional Web-based survey to collect data among adult PLHIV. The research visit was conducted via a Web-based survey, and there was no in-person interaction with the participant. Primary outcome measures included demographic questions (age, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation), pet ownership (type of pet owned and current dog ownership), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, 10 items), and resilience (Resilience Research Centre Adult Resilience Measure, 28 items). Results A total of 252 participants were enrolled into the study in January 2016, with a final analytic sample of 199 participants. Mean age was 49 years, 86.4% (172/199) of participants were male, and 80.4% (160/199) were white. Current dog ownership was prevalent among the sample (68.3%, 136/199). Bivariate analysis indicated that there was no significant relationship between depression and demographic characteristics (age, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation), with P>.05. The multivariate logistic regression, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, resilience, and current dog ownership, was significant, with P<.001. Of the 6 predictor variables, only 2 were statistically significant: dog ownership and resilience. Noncurrent dog owners had 3 times higher odds of depression in comparison with current dog owners: odds ratio 3.01; 95% CI 1.54-6.21. Conclusions Growing evidence suggests that dog ownership reduces the likelihood of depression and, therefore, may confer long-term health benefits on PLHIV. Future studies should explore whether dog-specific interventions are a feasible and efficacious intervention to improve outcomes among PLHIV.

scholarly journals Assessing the Content Validity of a New Patient-Reported Measure of Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence for Electronic Administration in Routine HIV Care: Proposal for a Web-Based Delphi Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Engler ◽  
Sara Ahmed ◽  
David Lessard ◽  
Serge Vicente ◽  
Bertrand Lebouché
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Electronic Administration ◽  
Oriented Research

BACKGROUND Adherence to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection remains a challenge for many patients. Routine screening for barriers to ART adherence could help make HIV care more patient-centered and prevent virologic rebound or failure. Our team is currently developing a new HIV-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of these barriers for use in Canada and France along with a digital app for its electronic administration. In our previous work, we developed the PROM’s multidimensional conceptual framework and generated 100 English items, which have been translated to French. OBJECTIVE This study aims to use a Web-based Delphi to help validate and select the content of this new HIV-specific PROM, based on the perspective of anglophone and francophone patients and providers in Canada and France. Here, we present the proposal for this Delphi. METHODS This modified Delphi will involve a diverse panel of patients (n=32) and providers (n=52) recruited especially from the 9 sites of the PROM development study (site locations in Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver; in France: Paris, Nantes, Clermont-Ferrand, Saint-Martin, Cayenne). Overall, 2 rounds of Web-based questionnaires will be conducted. The threshold for consensus is set at 60% and will determine which items are carried forward to the second round. Per item, 3 aspects will be rated: importance as a barrier to ART adherence, relevance for HIV care, and clarity. In both rounds, space will be available for free text comments. Overall comprehensiveness will be assessed in the second round. RESULTS This study has undergone a methodological review by experts in patient-oriented research. It has received approval from a research ethics board of the McGill University Health Centre. It is financially supported, in part, by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research-Quebec Support Unit (M006). As of May 21, 2019, 15 people living with HIV and 25 providers completed the first round of the Delphi (24 from Canada and 16 from France). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first Delphi to seek consensus on the most relevant and clinically actionable barriers to ART adherence, collecting opinions on an extensive list of barriers. Drawing on a relatively large and diverse panel of HIV patients and providers, it essentially engages key stakeholders in decision making about the PROM’s final content, helping to ensure its utility and adoption. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR PRR1-10.2196/12836

scholarly journals Assessing the Content Validity of a New Patient-Reported Measure of Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence for Electronic Administration in Routine HIV Care: Proposal for a Web-Based Delphi Study

10.2196/12836 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. e12836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Engler ◽  
Sara Ahmed ◽  
David Lessard ◽  
Serge Vicente ◽  
Bertrand Lebouché
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Electronic Administration ◽  
Oriented Research

Background Adherence to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV infection remains a challenge for many patients. Routine screening for barriers to ART adherence could help make HIV care more patient-centered and prevent virologic rebound or failure. Our team is currently developing a new HIV-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of these barriers for use in Canada and France along with a digital app for its electronic administration. In our previous work, we developed the PROM’s multidimensional conceptual framework and generated 100 English items, which have been translated to French. Objective This study aims to use a Web-based Delphi to help validate and select the content of this new HIV-specific PROM, based on the perspective of anglophone and francophone patients and providers in Canada and France. Here, we present the proposal for this Delphi. Methods This modified Delphi will involve a diverse panel of patients (n=32) and providers (n=52) recruited especially from the 9 sites of the PROM development study (site locations in Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver; in France: Paris, Nantes, Clermont-Ferrand, Saint-Martin, Cayenne). Overall, 2 rounds of Web-based questionnaires will be conducted. The threshold for consensus is set at 60% and will determine which items are carried forward to the second round. Per item, 3 aspects will be rated: importance as a barrier to ART adherence, relevance for HIV care, and clarity. In both rounds, space will be available for free text comments. Overall comprehensiveness will be assessed in the second round. Results This study has undergone a methodological review by experts in patient-oriented research. It has received approval from a research ethics board of the McGill University Health Centre. It is financially supported, in part, by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research-Quebec Support Unit (M006). As of May 21, 2019, 15 people living with HIV and 25 providers completed the first round of the Delphi (24 from Canada and 16 from France). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first Delphi to seek consensus on the most relevant and clinically actionable barriers to ART adherence, collecting opinions on an extensive list of barriers. Drawing on a relatively large and diverse panel of HIV patients and providers, it essentially engages key stakeholders in decision making about the PROM’s final content, helping to ensure its utility and adoption. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/12836

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention to Support Medication Adherence Among People Living With HIV: Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Côté ◽  
Geneviève Rouleau ◽  
Maria Pilar Ramirez-Garcia ◽  
Patricia Auger ◽  
Réjean Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
The Web

BACKGROUND Taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) is part of the daily life of people living with HIV. Different electronic health (eHealth) initiatives adjunctive to usual care have been proposed to support optimal medication adherence. A web-based intervention called HIV Treatment, Virtual Nursing Assistance, and Education or VIH-TAVIE (from its French version Virus de l’immunodéficience humaine-Traitement assistance virtuelle infirmière et enseignement) was developed to empower people living with HIV to manage their ART and symptoms optimally. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VIH-TAVIE in a web-based randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS This RCT was entirely web-based, including recruitment, consent granting, questionnaire completion, and intervention exposure (consultation with VIH-TAVIE [experimental group] or websites [control group]). To be eligible for the study, people living with HIV had to be 18 years or older, be on ART for at least 6 months, have internet access, and have internet literacy. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=45) or control group (n=43). The primary outcome was ART adherence. The secondary outcomes included self-efficacy regarding medication intake, symptom-related discomfort, skills and strategies, and social support. All outcomes were measured with a self-administered web-based questionnaire at the following three time points: baseline and 3 and 6 months later. A generalized linear mixed model was built to assess the evolution of ART adherence over time in both groups. RESULTS The sample included 88 participants, and of these, 73 (83%) were men. The median age of the participants was 42 years. Participants had been diagnosed with HIV a median of 7 years earlier (IQR 3-17) and had been on ART for a median of 5 years (IQR 2-12). The proportion of treatment-adherent participants at baseline was high in both groups (34/41, 83% in the experimental group and 30/39, 77% in the control group). Participants also reported high treatment adherence, high self-efficacy, and high skills; perceived good social support; and experienced low discomfort from symptoms. Analyses revealed no intergroup difference regarding ART adherence (OR 1.9, 95% CI 0.6-6.4). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the challenges and lessons learned from conducting an entirely web-based RCT among people living with HIV. The challenges were related to the engagement of people living with HIV on the following three levels: starting the web-based study (recruitment), completing the web-based intervention (engagement), and continuing the study (retention). The results contribute to the existing body of knowledge regarding how to conduct web-based evaluation studies of eHealth interventions aimed at developing and strengthening personal skills and abilities. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01510340; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01510340

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of HIV support groups on antiretroviral therapy adherence and viral suppression in the African cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prudence Mbah ◽  
Michael Iroezindu ◽  
Allahna L. Esber ◽  
Nicole Dear ◽  
Domonique Reed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Viral Suppression ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Support groups for people living with HIV (PLWH) may improve HIV care adherence and outcomes. We assessed the impact of support group attendance on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and viral suppression in four African countries. Methods The ongoing African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) enrolls participants at 12 clinics in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria. Self-reported attendance of any support group meetings, self-reported ART adherence, and HIV RNA are assessed every 6 months. Logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for support group attendance and other factors potentially associated with ART adherence and viral suppression. Results From January 2013 to December 1, 2019, 1959 ART-experienced PLWH were enrolled and 320 (16.3%) reported any support group attendance prior to enrollment. Complete ART adherence, with no missed doses in the last 30 days, was reported by 87.8% while 92.4% had viral suppression <1000copies/mL across all available visits. There was no association between support group attendance and ART adherence in unadjusted (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99–1.03) or adjusted analyses (aOR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98–1.02). Compared to PLWH who did not report support group attendance, those who did had similar odds of viral suppression in unadjusted (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.978–1.01) and adjusted analyses (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97–1.01). Conclusion Support group attendance was not associated with significantly improved ART adherence or viral suppression, although low support group uptake may have limited our ability to detect a statistically significant impact.

scholarly journals HealthCall: Smartphone Enhancement of Brief Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence Among Patients in HIV care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Hasin ◽  
Efrat Aharonovich ◽  
Barry Zingman ◽  
Malka Stohl ◽  
Claire Walsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Brief Interventions ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Improve Medication Adherence ◽  
Antiretroviral Adherence

AbstractBackgroundHeavy drinking among People Living With HIV (PLWH) reduces antiretroviral adherence and worsens health outcomes. Lengthy interventions to reduce drinking and improve adherence are not feasible in most HIV primary care settings, and patients seldom follow referrals to outside treatment. Utilizing visual and video features of smartphone technology, we developed and tested HealthCall as an electronic (smartphone) means of increasing patient involvement in brief intervention to reduce drinking and improve medication adherence without making unfeasible demands on providers.MethodsAlcohol-dependent patients at a large urban HIV clinic were randomized to one of three groups: (1) Motivational Interviewing (MI) plus HealthCall (n=39), (2) NIAAA Clinician’s Guide (CG) plus HealthCall (n=38), or (3) CG-only (n=37). Baseline interventions targeting drinking reduction and medication adherence were ∼25 minutes, with brief (10-15 min) booster sessions at 30 and 60 days. HealthCall involved daily use of the smartphone for 3-5 min/day, covering drinking, medication adherence, and other aspects of the prior 24 hours. Our outcome, assessed at 30 and 60 days, and 3, 6 and 12 months, was ART adherence (using unannounced phone pill-count method; possible adherence scores: 0%-100%). Analysis: generalized linear mixed models with pre-planned contrasts.ResultsStudy retention was excellent (85%-94% across timepoints) and unrelated to treatment arm or patient characteristics. ART adherence was generally high throughout follow-up, with some decline by 12 months. Although both CG+HealthCall and MI+HealthCall evidenced benefits early in follow-up, by 6 months, ART adherence was 11% better among patients in CG+HealthCall than in CG-only (p=0.03) and 9% better than among patients in MI+HealthCall (p=0.07). Efficacy differed slightly by gender (p=.09).ConclusionHealthCall paired with CG resulted in better ART adherence than CG alone. MI+HealthCall’s early benefits diminished over time. Given the importance of ART adherence and drinking reduction among PLWH, and the low costs and time required for HealthCall, pairing HealthCall with brief interventions within HIV clinics merits widespread consideration.

scholarly journals Integrating Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures into Routine HIV Care and the ANRS CO3 Aquitaine Cohort�s Data Capture and Visualization System (QuAliV): Protocol for a Formative Research Study (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Barger ◽  
Olivier Leleux ◽  
Valérie Conte ◽  
Vincent Sapparrart ◽  
Marie Gapillout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Patient Reported Outcomes ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Visualization System ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND Effective antiretroviral therapy has greatly reduced HIV-related morbidity and mortality, dramatically changing the demographics of the population of people living with HIV. The majority of people living with HIV in France are well cared for insofar as their HIV infection is concerned but remain at risk for age-associated comorbidities. Their long-term, potentially complex, and growing care needs make the routine, longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes of relevance in the current treatment era. OBJECTIVE We aim to describe the development of a Web-based electronic patient-reported outcomes system for people living with HIV linked to the ANRS CO3 Aquitaine cohort’s data capture and visualization system (ARPEGE) and designed to facilitate the electronic collection of patient-reported data and ultimately promote better patient-physician communication and quality of care (both patient satisfaction and health outcomes). METHODS Participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be invited to engage with the Web-based electronic patient-reported outcomes system and provided with the information necessary to create a personal patient account. They will then be able to access the electronic patient-reported outcomes system and complete a set of standardized validated questionnaires covering health-related quality of life (World Health Organization's Quality of Life Instrument in HIV infection, named WHOQOL-HIV BREF) and other patient-reported outcomes. The information provided via questionnaires will ultimately be presented in a summary format for clinicians, together with the patient’s HIV care history. RESULTS The prototype of the Web-based electronic patient-reported outcome system will be finalized and the first 2 formative research phases of the study (prototyping and usability testing) will be conducted from December 2017 to May 2018. We describe the sequential processes planned to ensure that the proposed electronic patient-reported outcome system is ready for formal pilot testing, referred to herein as phases 1a and 1b. We also describe the planned pilot-testing designed to evaluate the acceptability and use of the system from the patient’s perspective (phase 2). CONCLUSIONS As the underlying information technology solution, ARPEGE, has being developed in-house, should the feasibility study presented here yield promising results, the panel of services provided via the proposed portal could ultimately be expanded and used to experiment with health-promoting interventions in aging people living with HIV in hospital-based care or adapted for use in other patient populations. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03296202; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03296202 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zgOBArps) REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER RR1-10.2196/9439

scholarly journals Usability testing of a Web-based solution for the collection of electronic patient-reported outcomes in people living with HIV in Nouvelle Aquitaine, France (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Barger ◽  
Olivier Leleux ◽  
Valérie Conte ◽  
Vincent Sapparrart ◽  
Marie Gapillout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Reported Outcomes ◽  
Usability Testing ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Visualization System ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND Collecting patient-reported outcomes can be of great value for both research and chronic diseases management. We endeavoured to develop a new facet of the ANRS CO3 Aquitaine cohort study’s web-based data capture and visualization system (APPEGE ® 2.0) for the collection of electronic patient-reported outcomes in people living with HIV care for in Aquitaine, France. OBJECTIVE Given the novelty of the proposed data collection method for our setting and specific characteristics of the target population, we sought to evaluate the initial usability of a prototype of an electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO) information system (ARPEGE® 2.0). METHODS Two successive rounds of empirical, task-based, usability testing were conducted, involving eight “experts” and then six people living with HIV. Evaluators provided written feedback during round 1 and oral feedback during round 2. Evaluators who completed the full set of tasks responded to the Systems Usability Scale. We assessed changes in SUS scores between rounds and concluded usability testing when SUS scores reached a ceiling effect, defining “good” usability a priori as a usability score of 70. RESULTS Insights were generated regarding the visibility of system status and the match between the system and the real world that improved the solution’s usability markedly. Experts reported mean SUS scores of 65 +- 18.87 and patients reported mean SUS scores of 85 +- 5.4 (p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Software modifications, informed by successive rounds of usability testing, resulted in sufficient gains in usability to undertake piloting. Usability testing also prompted us to find the appropriate balance between optimal security and ease of use. CLINICALTRIAL https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03296202 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6zgOBArps)

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention to Support Medication Adherence Among People Living With HIV: Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/17733 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e17733
Author(s):  
José Côté ◽  
Geneviève Rouleau ◽  
Maria Pilar Ramirez-Garcia ◽  
Patricia Auger ◽  
Réjean Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
The Web

Background Taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) is part of the daily life of people living with HIV. Different electronic health (eHealth) initiatives adjunctive to usual care have been proposed to support optimal medication adherence. A web-based intervention called HIV Treatment, Virtual Nursing Assistance, and Education or VIH-TAVIE (from its French version Virus de l’immunodéficience humaine-Traitement assistance virtuelle infirmière et enseignement) was developed to empower people living with HIV to manage their ART and symptoms optimally. Objective We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VIH-TAVIE in a web-based randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods This RCT was entirely web-based, including recruitment, consent granting, questionnaire completion, and intervention exposure (consultation with VIH-TAVIE [experimental group] or websites [control group]). To be eligible for the study, people living with HIV had to be 18 years or older, be on ART for at least 6 months, have internet access, and have internet literacy. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=45) or control group (n=43). The primary outcome was ART adherence. The secondary outcomes included self-efficacy regarding medication intake, symptom-related discomfort, skills and strategies, and social support. All outcomes were measured with a self-administered web-based questionnaire at the following three time points: baseline and 3 and 6 months later. A generalized linear mixed model was built to assess the evolution of ART adherence over time in both groups. Results The sample included 88 participants, and of these, 73 (83%) were men. The median age of the participants was 42 years. Participants had been diagnosed with HIV a median of 7 years earlier (IQR 3-17) and had been on ART for a median of 5 years (IQR 2-12). The proportion of treatment-adherent participants at baseline was high in both groups (34/41, 83% in the experimental group and 30/39, 77% in the control group). Participants also reported high treatment adherence, high self-efficacy, and high skills; perceived good social support; and experienced low discomfort from symptoms. Analyses revealed no intergroup difference regarding ART adherence (OR 1.9, 95% CI 0.6-6.4). Conclusions This study highlights the challenges and lessons learned from conducting an entirely web-based RCT among people living with HIV. The challenges were related to the engagement of people living with HIV on the following three levels: starting the web-based study (recruitment), completing the web-based intervention (engagement), and continuing the study (retention). The results contribute to the existing body of knowledge regarding how to conduct web-based evaluation studies of eHealth interventions aimed at developing and strengthening personal skills and abilities. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01510340; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01510340

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