Cell Phone Intervention to Support Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Adherence in Kenya

University of Manitoba

Status: Completed

Conditions: AIDS; HIV; HIV Infections

Treatments: Other: Cell Phone Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00830622

H2007:037

CDC PEPFAR PHE KE.07.0045

Details and patient eligibility

About

A clinical study to evaluate the use of cell phones to support drug adherence and follow-up of patients taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treatment of HIV. The intervention involves health-care providers sending regular short-message-service (SMS) text messages to patients and following up their responses. The hypothesis is that the cell phone intervention will improve ART adherence and health outcomes compared with the current standard of care.

Full description

This RCT study focuses on enrolling and following patients initiating ART. Note, a second parallel prospective cohort study enrolls and follows ART experienced patients who have already been taking ART for at least one year before and after the same intervention.

Enrollment: 536 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• HIV infected and starting antiretroviral therapy
• Adequate (daily) access to a cell phone
• Intending to attend the enrollment clinic for 2 years
• Consent to participate

Exclusion criteria

• Not meeting inclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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536 participants in 2 patient groups

1

Experimental group

Description:

Cell Phone Intervention: participant receives weekly SMS text message from the health care worker.

Treatment:

Other: Cell Phone Intervention

2

No Intervention group

Description:

SOC: Participant receives standard of care support but not weekly SMS text messages from the health care worker.