Behavioural Text Messages to Improve Retention in Care in South Africa

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: HIV/AIDS

Treatments: Behavioral: Altruism framed text message reminder to attend clinic appointment; Behavioral: Loss aversion framed text message reminder to attend clinic appointment; Behavioral: Social norms framed text message reminder to attend clinic appointment; Behavioral: Standard of Care (SOC) text message reminder to attend clinic appointment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05010291

210308

Details and patient eligibility

About

The proportion of South Africans aware of their HIV status and on treatment remains lower than optimal. The goal of this study is to rapidly determine whether text messages framed according to behavioural economics principles increase clinic attendance among recipients of care on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa. We hypothesize that messages incorporating behavioural economics principles will increase the likelihood of recipients of care attending clinic appointments and returning within 28 days of a missed appointment.

Full description

The objective of this study is to rapidly determine whether text messages framed according to behavioural economics principles increase the likelihood that recipients of care attend their clinic appointment and return to clinic within 28 days of a missed appointment. The study will be nested in a routine HIV program, in approximately 5 selected Aurum Institute clinics based in Ekurhuleni district, Gauteng province, South Africa.

Intervention arms will include voice call attempts and one-way text messages sent by clinic staff to recipients of care in two scenarios: 1) Approximately 3-7 days in advance of a clinic appointment for collecting antiretroviral medication supplies or collection of a specimen for viral load testing and 2) Approximately 24 hours after a missed clinic appointment.

This individually randomised trial will have four arms. Each time there is an upcoming or missed clinic visit clinic staff will randomly assign recipients of care to one of the following study arms: 1) Standard of Care 2) Loss aversion framed messaging 3) Social norms framed messaging or 4) Altruism framed messaging.

Enrollment: 1,541 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Registered to receive ART (this includes patients receiving ART through multi-month scripting) at selected study sites.
• Aged ≥18 years.
• Have a documented cell phone number in their clinic records
• Are eligible to receive appointment reminders as part of routine care OR eligible to receive follow-up text messages as part of routine care for missed clinic appointments.

Exclusion criteria

• Do not have contact details in their clinic records.
• Have contact details on record that are established to belong to someone else upon follow-up (i.e., wrong number).
• Have contact details that are deactivated/non-functional (i.e., voice notification that the number does not exist).
• Are documented to have self-transferred out of the clinic.
• Are known to have been deceased.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,541 participants in 4 patient groups

Standard of Care (SOC) messaging

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized into this arm will receive standard voice call reminders + the Standard of Care (SOC) text message reminders. The study team will send these one-way text messages to recipients of care as a reminder 1) approximately 3-7 days in advance of a clinic appointment, or 2) to follow-up approximately 24 hours after a missed clinic appointment. These text messages will include the SOC text

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard of Care (SOC) text message reminder to attend clinic appointment

Loss aversion messaging

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized into this arm will receive standard voice call reminders + loss aversion text message reminders. The study team will send these one-way text messages to recipients of care as a reminder 1) approximately 3-7 days in advance of a clinic appointment, or 2) to follow-up approximately 24 hours after a missed clinic appointment. These text messages will include loss aversion framing.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Loss aversion framed text message reminder to attend clinic appointment

Social norms messaging

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized into this arm will receive standard voice call reminders + social norms text message reminders. The study team will send these one-way text messages to recipients of care as a reminder 1) approximately 3-7 days in advance of a clinic appointment, or 2) to follow-up approximately 24 hours after a missed clinic appointment. These text messages will include social norms framing.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social norms framed text message reminder to attend clinic appointment

Altruism messaging

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized into this arm will receive standard voice call reminders + altruism text message reminders. The study team will send these one-way text messages to recipients of care as a reminder 1) approximately 3-7 days in advance of a clinic appointment, or 2) to follow-up approximately 24 hours after a missed clinic appointment. These text messages will include altruism framing.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Altruism framed text message reminder to attend clinic appointment