Testing of the Smartphone App to Enhance HIV Prevention Cascade Among Malaysian MSM

University of Connecticut

Status: Completed

Conditions: HIV Prevention Program

Treatments: Other: inactivated JomPrEP app; Other: Full access to JomPrEP app

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05044013

K01DA051346

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators will conduct a pilot RCT to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the JomPrEP app and examine its preliminary efficacy in improving PrEP cascade compared with the control group.

Full description

mHealth is a promising and cost-effective strategy to reach stigmatized and hard-to-reach populations and link them to care. Leveraging mHealth reduces individuals' discomfort and distrust of disclosing risk behaviors to providers, providers' low cultural competency for working with individuals of diverse sexual identities, and bypasses barriers to care for marginalized populations, - all features crucial for HIV prevention in MSM in Malaysia. Results from the investigators' studies show Malaysian MSM often do not get HIV tested or initiate PrEP. Mixed methods suggest MSM want these services but prefer a streamlined system to access them that reduces interaction with clinicians where disclosure and perceived judgment occurs. mHealth may overcome these barriers by facilitating prevention services delivery and health decision-making in a confidential, less-stigmatizing, and convenient manner. Overall smartphone growth in Malaysia (63% in 2015 to 89% in 2017), and the investigators' parallel work with MSM indicates that nearly all (>97%) MSM own a smartphone. Findings from qualitative interviews with MSM further indicate preferences for interfacing with 'apps' rather than health professionals as well as local stakeholders indicating strong interest in using such platform to deliver HIV prevention services align with developing culturally tailored mHealth strategies and to engage MSM in virtual communication with providers - all embedded within one app.

To the investigators' knowledge however, no mHealth intervention has been developed to improve access to HIV prevention services in Malaysia. The investigators, therefore, propose to pilot test their new clinic-affiliated app (JomPrEP) to promote HIV testing and PrEP uptake in Malaysian MSM. They will conduct a pilot RCT to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the JomPrEP app and examine its preliminary efficacy in improving PrEP cascade compared with the control group.

The investigators will enroll 90 participants who will be randomized (1:1) to receive either the JomPrEP app or the control group and assessed at 3- and 6-months. Randomization will be stratified by ATS use (16% to 24%) and age. They will conduct exit interviews with participants and clinical staff to examine the barriers and facilitators to the app and obtain feedback to further optimize the app.

Enrollment: 90 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria: MSM

• HIV-negative MSM
• Age more than or equal to 18
• Cis-gender men
• Condomless sex in the last 30 days
• Own a smartphone

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to provide informed consent
• Unable to read and understand English or Bahasa Malaysia

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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90 participants in 2 patient groups

JomPrEP App Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the JomPrEP group will be provided with full app access and will be encouraged to use all features of the app.

Treatment:

Other: Full access to JomPrEP app

Control Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the control group will receive the JomPrEP app with major intervention features inactivated.

Treatment:

Other: inactivated JomPrEP app