Smart Linkage-to-HIV Care Via a Smartphone App

Summary

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the provision of individual patient laboratory results to newly diagnosed HIV positive smartphone users through a secure application (app) as a method to get them linked to and retained in care, and engage with educational materials purposefully developed to explain their results. Message prompts will also be used to alert patients that their results are ready and provide information on how to link to care, and assistance to re-link to care if they fall out of the health system for any reason. Prompts will be sent to patients to remind health care workers if they are due for repeat laboratory monitoring. The primary endpoint is linkage to care (a HIV-related laboratory test) at 6 months. The control group received standard of care.

Conditions

• HIV Infections
• Viral Load
• Patient Compliance
• Antiretroviral Therapy
• Cell Phone

Interventions

OTHER

Smartphone application

Laboratory result data will be presented in the app with simple explanations on every screen. English and Zulu languages will be offered in the same app and written at a grade 4 reading level (as per WHO guidelines on literacy). Laboratory results will be supplemented with informative and relevant information explaining the result that has been shown and the recommended action for the patient to take. Patients will also be able to view additional HIV-related information and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) through the app.

DEVICE

Smartphone

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• National Health Laboratory Service South Africa

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Department for International Development, United Kingdom

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• World Bank

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Francois Venter, Prof · Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2015-10-31

Primary Completion

2017-02-28

Completion

2017-06-30

Countries

• South Africa

Study Locations