Effect of mobile text messages on antiretroviral medication adherence and patient retention in early HIV care: An open-label, randomized, single center study in south Florida
Author | Sherman, Elizabeth M. |
Author | Niu, Jianli |
Author | Elrod, Shara |
Author | Clauson, Kevin A. |
Author | Alkhateeb, Fadi |
Author | Eckardt, Paula |
Available date | 2023-09-20T08:47:11Z |
Publication Date | 2020 |
Publication Name | AIDS Research and Therapy |
Resource | Scopus |
ISSN | 17426405 |
Abstract | Background People with HIV (PHIV) with limited access to health services often experience suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We investigated whether a daily text messaging intervention improves ART adherence and retention in early HIV care in PHIV in a south Florida hospital-based clinic. Methods ART-naïve PHIV receiving care through the clinic’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program were enrolled and randomly assigned to the intervention or control groups with a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group received a 1-way text message daily and the control group received standard care without receiving text message reminders for 6 months. HIV RNA and CD4 cell count were measured at baseline and post-intervention. Adherence to ART was defined as a visual analog scale of ≥ 90%. Retention in care was defined as continued engagement at study end. Results 94 ART-naïve patients were randomized and 83 (85.6%) completed the study, of which 44 were in the intervention group and 39 were in the control group. At the end of the 6-month study period, adherence to ART was 84.4% in the intervention group versus 73.5% in the control group (OR, 1.9; 95% CI 0.7–5.0; p = 0.194). Retention in care significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group with the odds of retention increasing by 20% (OR, 1.2; 95% CI 1.1–1.5; p = 0.006). Undetectable HIV RNA (< 50 copies/mL) was 86.7% in the intervention group versus 73.5% in the control group (OR, 2.3; 95% CI 0.8–6.9; p = 0.112). A significant increase in CD4 cell count and a decrease in HIV RNA were found at study end, with no differences between the two groups. Conclusions In this pilot study, a one-way daily text messaging intervention did not improve ART adherence over a 6-month study period, but significantly enhanced patient retention in early HIV care. Implementation of interventions to improve adherence in this population is required. |
Sponsor | This work was supported by the Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division Research Grant and the Nova Southeastern University President's Faculty Research and Development Grant. |
Language | en |
Publisher | BioMed Central Ltd. |
Subject | HIV Medication adherence Mobile health SMS Text message |
Type | Article |
Issue Number | 1 |
Volume Number | 17 |
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