A Mobile Gaming App to Improve ART Adherence for Youth

Summary

Despite the need for consistent adherence to medical care, youth living with HIV have low rates of adherence to medications and treatment. There are few interventions to improve adherence to HIV medications and treatment for youth, and there is a great need for novel approaches that are engaging for this age group. The investigators developed an intervention that includes a mobile gaming app that is integrated with a 7-day electronic medication device and text messages. During gameplay, youth fight HIV in colorful organ systems. A small previous project found that the intervention helped youth who were newly starting medications for HIV by improving adherence and decreasing HIV virus in their bodies (viral load). This proposed project will test the intervention with larger number of youth (100) who are newly starting HIV treatment and medications in New England, Georgia, and in Mississippi. The investigators want to determine if adherence is improved and viral load is reduced in this larger sample.

Conditions

• Medication Adherence
• HIV/AIDS

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Multilevel Gaming Adherence Intervention

Combination of electronic medication monitoring device with Information-Motivation-Behavior based mobile gaming application tailored for those living with HIV and adherence-based text messages

BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as Usual +

Combination of electronic medication monitoring device and non-HIV related mobile gaming application

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Mississippi Medical Center

  collaborator OTHER

• Boston Medical Center

  collaborator OTHER

• Emory University

  collaborator OTHER

• Rhode Island Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• James B Brock, MD · University of Mississippi Medical Center

• Rachel Epstein, MD · Boston Medical Center

• Stephen Pelton, MD · Boston Medical Center

• Larry K Brown, MD · Rhode Island Hospital

• Laura Whiteley, MD · Rhode Island Hospital

• Andres Camacho-Gonzalez, MD · Emory University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

15 Years

Max Age

30 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-11-01

Primary Completion

2024-10-17

Completion

2024-10-17

Countries

• United States

Study Locations