Improving the HIV Care Continuum With mHealth Technology

Summary

Youth living with HIV (YLHIV) face barriers to engagement and retention in HIV care, show poor medication adherence, and often fail to achieve and maintain viral suppression. YLHIV in the southern United States have particularly poor care engagement outcomes. South Carolina is one of nine states identified as "key drivers" of the US HIV epidemic, and HIV rates for youth in South Carolina have risen in recent years. Tailored interventions are urgently needed to improve outcomes for this population. One promising approach is to reach YLHIV via mobile Health (mHealth) technology, yet few efforts have sought to tailor mHealth interventions to the needs of YLHIV in the southern US. Thus, the scientific objective of this study is to pilot test a new mHealth intervention, called MindBodyU, designed to increase engagement/retention in care and ART adherence among YLHIV in South Carolina. In this study, investigators will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of the mHealth intervention with a six-month pilot trial with 40 YLHIV in South Carolina.

Conditions

• HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• HIV Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Adherence
• mHealth Application
• mHealth Intervention
• Continuum of Care
• Youth With HIV

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

MindBodyU Intervention

The MindBodyU app is an mHealth intervention that was developed based on input from youth living with HIV, HIV providers, and community-based organizations. The app includes multiple features designed to promote HIV care engagement, medication adherence, and psychosocial wellbeing for youth living with HIV in South Carolina. Users of the app will have the opportunity to create anonymous profiles in which they can access resources related to HIV, behavioral health, sexual health, and other social determinants of health. The app also has features that enable youth to monitor and track health behaviors (e.g., appointment reminders, medication adherence), message healthcare professionals with general health questions, and engage in moderated online forums with HIV providers and other YLHIV.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• University of South Carolina

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-06-01

Primary Completion

2027-12-31

Completion

2028-06-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations