None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of the study is to determine whether a smartphone application is a useful tool to help patients with HIV remember and manage their medications. Specifically, we intend to compare the effectiveness of two smartphone apps with different capabilities. To do this, people who are currently living with HIV, attending the Auckland City Hospital Infectious Diseases clinic and use a smartphone are being asked to participate in this study. Participants will then be randomly allocated to one of two smartphone application groups. All participants will be asked to use their respective app for three months. It is hypothesised that participants in both groups will become more adherent to their ART medication. Specifically, it is aniticipated that the smartphone application designed to enhance patients' understanding of their HIV infection will be more effective in improving/maintaining adherence to ART.
Interventions
Participants (patients with HIV infection attending the Auckland City Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit) in the intervention group will receive an augmented smartphone application to use for three months (in addition to standard care).
The application contains three components designed to facilitate adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART);
(a) 24 hour timer reminding the participant when to take their medications
(b) predicted blood concentrations of medications based on medication-taking
Participants (patients with HIV infection attending the Auckland City Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit) in the intervention group will receive an augmented smartphone application to use for three months (in addition to standard care). The application contains three components designed to facilitate adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART); (a) 24 hour timer reminding the participant when to take their medications (b) predicted blood concentrations of medications based on medication-taking as entered into the application by the patient c) graphical representation of HIV & CD4 cell activity based on predicted medication concentrations and blood tests. 1. Standard care for patients with HIV infection at Auckland City Hospital is an appointment at the Infectious Diseases outpatient clinic once every six months (with either an Infectious Diseases consultant or specialist nurse) and a blood test once every three months (to determine CD4 count and HIV viral load). There is no additional care for participants taking part in the study. 2. Participants will be only asked to enter their medication use into the application. Thus, the frequency of use will depend on the complexity of their treatment regimen. Any use of the application in addition to entering medication use is completely at the participant’s discretion.
Sponsors
University of Auckland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Every participant must be: -on antiretroviral therapy for at least 6 months -a patient at the Auckland City Hospital Infectious Diseases clinic -over 18 years of age -have a smartphone
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded from the study if they: -are under 18 years of age -do not have a smartphone -are unable to give informed consent -are unable to speak, write and read English
Outcome results
None listed