Computer Assisted Rx Education for HIV-Positives: CARE+

University of Washington

Status: Completed

Conditions: HIV Infections; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Treatments: Behavioral: CARE+

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00443378

04-3810-C 01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates an interactive computer counseling tool to help HIV-positive individuals develop an integrated health promotion plan incorporating antiretroviral (ART) adherence and HIV transmission risk reduction. We hypothesize that evidence-based counseling for ART adherence support and for HIV transmission risk reduction can be delivered effectively in a self-administered computer tool.

Full description

Strict adherence to ART regimens is necessary for viral suppression and to avoid development of viral resistance, yet average ART adherence among HIV-positive individuals in North America is only 55%. Focused prevention efforts are key to reduce secondary HIV transmission to sexual and needle-sharing partners, yet many HIV patients do not receive counseling about these behaviors from their providers. Despite the global pandemic and a rising HIV incidence among some US populations, few health promotion interventions have integrated ART adherence with transmission risk reduction for people living with HIV. Most of the efficacious adherence or prevention interventions to date are not practical to scale up, as they require intense staff training and quality assurance and can be delivered to relatively few individuals at any one time.

An interactive health communication tool promises the possibility of a cost-effective adjunct to existing human-delivered counseling, or a stand-alone intervention when no other counseling would otherwise be offered.

This RCT of one such tool -- CARE+ --will provide empiric evidence of the benefits and limits of a computerized health promotion intervention to integrate ART adherence with transmission prevention for individuals with HIV. CARE+ is a .NET based application on tablet computers that comprises risk assessment, medication monitoring, tailored feedback, stage-based skills-building videos, motivational interviewing counseling, an integrated health promotion plan, and printout with referrals. Evidence-based approaches (pharmacist education, self-efficacy/importance scaling exercises, and consequence-framing) are incorporated.

Comparison: The CARE+ longitudinal RCT compares clinical and behavioral outcomes of CARE+ users to a control arm which assesses audio computer-assisted self-interview risk behaviors only. Participants were recruited and enrolled at two study sites, 1) an urban outpatient HIV clinic and 2) a community based AIDS Service Organization.

Aim 1: Identify common elements of adherence and transmission behaviors, health communication needs, and technology attitudes (n=30 interviews); incorporate into CARE+ and test software usability (n=30). Aim 2: Randomized clinical trial of HIV-positive adults on ART. Arm 1: CARE+ (n=120); Arm 2: computer risk assessment only (n=120). Arms 1 and 2 perform baseline, 3-, 6-, and 9-month session. Compare outcomes: a) ART adherence by plasma HIV viral load, CD4, self-report and b) HIV transmission sexual risk behaviors at follow-up. Aim 3: Provide data for HIV transmission dynamics impact modeling.

Enrollment: 240 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• HIV positive
• currently taking highly active antiretroviral medication

Exclusion criteria

• unable to understand spoken English
• unable to give informed consent

Trial design

240 participants in 2 patient groups

1

Experimental group

Description:

Arm 1, "CARE+ arm" is the study arm that receives the CARE+ computer intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: CARE+

2

No Intervention group

Description:

Arm 2, the control arm, is the study arm that receives computerized risk assessment only.

Treatment:

Behavioral: CARE+