A Preliminary Test of an mHealth Facilitated Health Coaching Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence among Persons Living with HIV

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Susan E Ramsey, Brown University; Evan G Ames, Rhode Island Hospital; Julia Uber, Rhode Island Hospital; Samia Habib, Rhode Island Hospital; Seth Clark, Brown University; Drenna Waldrop, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-06-12
• Publisher: SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03342-5
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: AIDS AND BEHAVIOR
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 3782
• End Page: 3797
• Grant/Funding Information: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R34MH108431 to Dr. Susan Ramsey. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
• Keywords: REMINDERS; VIRAL SUPPRESSION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; mHealth Intervention; HIV; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL; Biomedical Social Sciences; Social Sciences; Science & Technology; Medication Adherence; SELF-REPORT; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; DRUG-USERS; ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY; Health Coaching; DEPRESSION CBT-AD; LOW-LEVEL VIREMIA; OUTCOMES; COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY; Social Sciences, Biomedical

Abstract

This study examined feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an mHealth facilitated health coaching antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence intervention. Persons living with HIV (n = 53) were randomized to an in-person adherence session and 12 months of app access and health coaching via the app (Fitbit Plus) versus single adherence session (SOC). At baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, we measured ART adherence, substance use, and depressive symptoms. We also conducted individual qualitative interviews. The intervention was found to be largely feasible and highly acceptable, with the health coach spending an average of 2.4 min per month with a participant and 76.5% of Fitbit Plus participants using the app regularly at 12 months. While most comparisons were not significant, the pattern of results was consistent with better adherence in the Fitbit Plus compared to SOC condition. Substance use was significantly associated with poorer ART adherence while depressive symptoms were not. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02676128; Registered: 2/8/2016.