A Habit-formation and Gamification Intervention to Improve ART Adherence Among MSM HIV Patients in Mexico

Summary

In general, several studies show that adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among men who have sex with men (MSM) is low. Yet, high adherence to ART is essential-not only to improve the quality of life and survival rates among MSM living with HIV, but also to reduce HIV transmission among their partners. Our project aims to address this unmet need through a community-based habit-formation intervention, which incorporates elements of gamification. This intervention will provide MSM living with HIV who have been recently diagnosed and linked to care several tools to develop the habit of taking their medication and overcome disruptive adherence events (DAE) that would otherwise lead to treatment abandonment or lower adherence.

Between 2015 and 2017, the investigators conducted a study funded by CONACYT -the Mexican Council for Research-in two Mexican cities to involve MSM living with HIV in the design of an intervention to improve ART adherence. Results from this study show that at the beginning of ART, MSM living with HIV can benefit greatly from a habit-formation community-based intervention that includes support mechanisms to tackle the multiple barriers they face.

Using these findings, the investigators created FUERTES, an intervention with two main components: 1) the provision of a simple tool that MSM can access to learn how to develop an habit of taking their ART drugs, and 2) the support of a trained peer with background in psychology to help teach them how to overcome the myriad of barriers they may face in achieving medication adherence.

This is a multicentre, parallel, randomized, controlled trial. The project's aim is to pilot-test the intervention and document its implementation. Specifically, the investigators will assess the effect of the intervention on ART adherence among MSM living with HIV at four and ten months. Secondary outcomes include viral load and CD4 cell counts. They will also assess the scalability of the intervention by measuring the costs of the intervention. The duration of the project is two years starting December 2017. The researchers hypothesize that the FUERTES intervention will improve ART adherence among MSM living with HIV starting ART by at least 15%, measured by the medication possession ratio.

Conditions

• HIV

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

FUERTES

The intervention focuses on antiretroviral therapy habit-formation among MSM living with HIV

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hospital Civil Juan I. Menchaca

  collaborator OTHER

• Hospital General de Occidente

  collaborator OTHER

• CAPASITS Villahermosa

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Mexico

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sergio Bautista-Arredondo, MSc · National Institute of public Health

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-12-05

Primary Completion

2019-11-20

Completion

2024-12-01

Countries

• Mexico

Study Locations