STI Updates: WelTel at Oak Tree: mHealth to improve health

smartsexresourceBackground
Oak Tree Clinic is studying the clinical effectiveness of a weekly text messaging intervention for improving the care and support of vulnerable and hard-to-reach HIV positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (cART).

The study is based upon the WeltelKENYA study [1], a randomized control trial demonstrating that weekly text messages to patients from nurses results in significantly higher rates of treatment adherence and viral suppression than standard care alone. In a pilot study examining intervention acceptability and feasibility (WeltelBC1), participants reported improved engagement, medication adherence and psychosocial health [2].

 

WelTelOAKTREE Study
Using a repeated measures design, 85 HIV+ high risk participants with detectable HIV viral loads (VL) from the Oak Tree Clinic were enrolled in the intervention. Study participants receive a weekly text message asking “How are you?” Data on appointment attendance (engagement), cART adherence, CD4 counts, and VL are collected at each visit from the year before, during and after the intervention.

Intervention cost effectiveness and cost benefit will be studied to assess feasibility of transferring the intervention to a programmatically funded facet of patient care. Total cost will be tabulated based on the intervention costs, including cost of the platform, texting, phones, nursing and other staff time.

Benefits of the study will be determined in both monetary and non-monetary units using an HIV-specific model to estimate number of transmissions averted, morbidity averted, quality of life improvement, and systematic costs saved.

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