Can you hear me now? Limited use of technology among an urban HIV-infected cohort

Notification of STI test results by text messaging: Why do patients refuse? Cross-sectional study in a Parisian sexual health centre

Text messaging has been used to notify patients of results after sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. This study aimed to characterise the population who refused notification of results by short message services (SMS) and to explore their reasons for refusing. From January to August 2018, 1180 patients coming for STI testing in a Parisian sexual health centre were offered SMS notification of their results, completed a self-administered questionnaire and were included in the study. Factors associated with refusal of SMS notification were explored using logistic regression models. Reasons for refusal were analysed following a qualitative content analysis methodology. In the study population, 7.3% [95% CI 5.8-8.8] of patients refused SMS notification. In the multivariate logistic regression model, male gender and older age were associated with refusal, as were non-French nationality, having forgone health care for economic reasons and being unemployed. Qualitative analysis showed that preferring face-to-face medical contact (32%) and anxiety about the test result (29%) were the main reasons given by patients for refusal. Socially disadvantaged patients may have more limited access to technology and be less at ease using it in a health context. Preference for face-to-face medical contact may reflect the need for human support in vulnerable populations.

Social Determinants of Potential eHealth Engagement Among People Living with HIV Receiving Ryan White Case Management: Health Equity Implications from Project TECH

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the relationships between social characteristics of Floridian persons living with HIV (PLWH) and both use of digital technologies and willingness to use eHealth for HIV-related information.

METHODS

Ryan White case managers (N = 155) from 55 agencies in 47 Florida counties administered a survey to PLWH (N = 1268) from June 2016-April 2017. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to identify correlates of technology use and willingness.

RESULTS

Use of mobile phones with text messaging was high (89%). Older (vs. younger) adults and non-Hispanic blacks (vs. whites) were less likely to use most technologies. These groups, along with Hispanics (vs. whites) were less likely to express willingness to use technologies for HIV-related information in models adjusting for use.

CONCLUSIONS

Among PLWH in Florida, eHealth-related inequities exist. Willingness to engage in HIV-related eHealth is affected by social determinants, even when considering technology access. Although eHealth may reduce some healthcare inequities, it may exacerbate others.

Technology Use Among Patients in a Nonurban Southern U.S. HIV Clinic in 2015

BACKGROUND

Behavioral interventions can be delivered over the Internet, but nonurban subpopulations living with HIV may still have inadequate Internet access to make this feasible.

METHODS

We report on a survey conducted in 2015 among 150 patients receiving care at a university-based Infectious Disease Clinic serving a nonurban and rural population in central Virginia. Our aim was to determine the rate of computer, tablet, and smartphone usage, as well as Internet access, to inform the delivery of a novel intervention using Internet and mobile technology.

RESULTS

The participants' mean age was 46; 111 patients used computers, 101 used smartphones, and 41 used tablets. The results showed that 87% of patients had Internet access. Of those, 49 reported daily Internet use, while 18% reported weekly Internet use, and 33% reported less frequent Internet use.

CONCLUSIONS

The survey study data suggest that Internet access among nonurban and rural patients with HIV is adequate to support trials testing Internet-delivered interventions. It is time to develop and deliver Internet interventions tailored for this often isolated subpopulation.

Barriers to using text message appointment reminders in an HIV clinic

INTRODUCTION

Failure to attend medical appointments among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been associated with poor health outcomes. Text message appointment reminders are a novel tool to potentially improve appointment attendance, but the feasibility of this tool among persons living with HIV in the United States is unknown.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of text message reminders in a large HIV clinic. Patients who declined enrollment were asked for reasons for declining. For all patients randomized, demographic and clinical data were collected from medical records.

RESULTS

Of 94 patients screened for the study, 42 (45%) did not elect to participate; the most common reason for declining participation was the lack of either a cell phone or text messaging service. Cost, comfort with text messaging, and privacy were other major barriers to study enrollment. Among the 25 subjects randomized to receive text messages, 6 (24%) had their phones disconnected prior to the appointment reminder date. Ultimately, there were no differences in clinic attendance rates between the group that received text reminders versus the group that did not (72% versus 81%, p=0.42) in an intention-to-treat analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Although text message reminders may be successful in certain groups of patients, barriers must be addressed before they are used as a universal approach to improve clinic attendance.

Reducing heavy drinking in HIV primary care: a randomized trial of brief intervention, with and without technological enhancement

AIMS

In HIV-infected individuals, heavy drinking compromises survival. In HIV primary care, the efficacy of brief motivational interviewing (MI) to reduce drinking is unknown, alcohol-dependent patients may need greater intervention and resources are limited. Using interactive voice response (IVR) technology, HealthCall was designed to enhance MI via daily patient self-monitoring calls to an automated telephone system with personalized feedback. We tested the efficacy of MI-only and MI+HealthCall for drinking reduction among HIV primary care patients.

DESIGN

Parallel random assignment to control (n = 88), MI-only (n = 82) or MI+HealthCall (n = 88). Counselors provided advice/education (control) or MI (MI-only or MI+HealthCall) at baseline. At 30 and 60 days (end-of-treatment), counselors briefly discussed drinking with patients, using HealthCall graphs with MI+HealthCall patients.

SETTING

Large urban HIV primary care clinic.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients consuming ≥4 drinks at least once in prior 30 days.

MEASUREMENTS

Using time-line follow-back, primary outcome was number of drinks per drinking day, last 30 days.

FINDINGS

End-of-treatment number of drinks per drinking day (NumDD) means were 4.75, 3.94 and 3.58 in control, MI-only and MI+HealthCall, respectively (overall model χ(2) , d.f. = 9.11,2, P = 0.01). For contrasts of NumDD, P = 0.01 for MI+HealthCall versus control; P = 0.07 for MI-only versus control; and P = 0.24 for MI+HealthCall versus MI-only. Secondary analysis indicated no intervention effects on NumDD among non-alcohol-dependent patients. However, for contrasts of NumDD among alcohol-dependent patients, P < 0.01 for MI+HealthCall versus control; P = 0.09 for MI-only versus control; and P = 0.03 for MI+HealthCall versus MI-only. By 12-month follow-up, although NumDD remained lower among alcohol-dependent patients in MI+HealthCall than others, effects were no longer significant.

CONCLUSIONS

For alcohol-dependent HIV patients, enhancing MI with HealthCall may offer additional benefit, without extensive additional staff involvement.

Scope and effectiveness of mobile phone messaging for HIV/AIDS care: a systematic review

The objective of this mixed method systematic review was to assess the scope, effectiveness, acceptability and feasibility of the use of mobile phone messaging for HIV infection prevention, treatment and care. We comprehensively searched the peer-reviewed and grey literature. Two authors independently screened citations, extracted data and assessed study quality of included studies (any research design) focusing on mobile phone messaging interventions for HIV care. We present a narrative overview of the results. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria: three randomized controlled trials, 11 interventional studies using other study designs and seven qualitative or cross-sectional studies. We also found six on-going trials and 21 projects. Five of the on-going trials and all the above mentioned projects took place in low or middle-income countries. Mobile phone messaging was researched for HIV prevention, appointment reminders, HIV testing reminders, medication adherence and for communication between health workers. Of the three randomized controlled trials assessing the use of short message service (SMS) to improve medication adherence, two showed positive results. Other interventional studies did not provide significant results. In conclusion, despite an extensive search we found limited evidence on the effectiveness of mobile phone messaging for HIV care. There is a need to adequately document outcomes and constraints of programs using mobile phone messaging to support HIV care to assess the impact and to focus on best practice.

HealthCall: technology-based extension of motivational interviewing to reduce non-injection drug use in HIV primary care patients - a pilot study

To reduce non-injection drug use (NIDU) among HIV primary care patients, more than a single brief intervention may be needed, but clinic resources are often too limited for extended interventions. To extend brief motivational interviewing (MI) to reduce NIDU, we designed and conducted a pilot study of "HealthCall," consisting of brief (1-3 minutes) daily patient calls reporting NIDU and health behaviors to a telephone-based interactive voice response (IVR) system, which provided data for subsequent personalized feedback. Urban HIV adult clinic patients reporting ≥4 days of NIDU in the previous month were randomized to two groups: MI-only (n=20) and MI+HealthCall (n=20). At 30 and 60 days, patients were assessed and briefly discussed their NIDU behaviors with their counselors. The outcome was the number of days patients used their primary drug in the prior 30 days. Medical marijuana issues precluded HealthCall with patients whose primary substance was marijuana (n=7); excluding these, 33 remained, of whom 28 patients (MI-only n=17; MI+HealthCall n=11) provided post-treatment data for analysis. Time significantly predicted reduction in "days used" in both groups (p<0.0001). At 60 days, between-group differences approached trend level, with an effect size of 0.62 favoring the MI+HealthCall arm. This pilot study suggests that HealthCall is feasible and acceptable to patients in resource-limited HIV primary care settings and can extend patient involvement in brief intervention with little additional staff time. A larger efficacy trial of HealthCall for NIDU-reduction in such settings is warranted.

Text messaging for enhancement of testing and treatment for tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, and syphilis: a survey of attitudes toward cellular phones and healthcare

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding healthcare-related mobile phone use and text messaging among persons at risk for or infected with tuberculosis (TB) or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

METHODS

An anonymous survey was conducted in three groups of subjects: (1) HIV-infected persons attending an HIV clinic; (2) persons with latent TB infection at a public health clinic; and (3) persons presenting for TB, HIV, and syphilis screening at a community screening site.

RESULTS

Three hundred fifteen (n  = 315) persons responded to the survey, of whom 241 (76.5%) owned a cell phone. Cell phone owners were younger and more educated than nonowners. Transportation difficulty and forgetting appointments were cited as significant barriers by 34.2% and 39.5% of respondents, respectively. Fifty-six percent of subjects felt it would be acceptable to receive text message appointment reminders, and 33% felt that text message reminders to take medications would be acceptable. Younger age and cell phone ownership were significantly associated with acceptance of text message reminders. Black and Hispanic subjects were more likely to feel that text message reminders for appointments or medications were helpful than White subjects. Further, Black and Hispanic subjects, as well as subjects with lower educational attainment, were more receptive to healthcare-related educational text messages.

CONCLUSIONS

Cell phones and text messaging were prevalent among our subjects attending HIV and TB clinics, and subjects were generally receptive to text messaging for healthcare-related communication. Interventions that explore the potential for text messaging to improve clinic attendance, medication adherence, and health knowledge should be explored.