HIV Infections
Conditions
Keywords
Women, Drug Use, mHealth, HIV Prevention
Brief summary
The goal of this single arm pre-post study is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of the LOTUS intervention to improve HIV prevention service engagement among people who use drugs. LOTUS is a technology-delivered intervention that provides HIV prevention informational content and tips, peer social support and social networking features, a resource locator, HIV prevention monitoring and reminders (e.g., reminders for HIV/STI testing and PrEP doses), and a virtual space to have questions answered by health care professionals.
Detailed description
The LOTUS intervention is a technology-delivered intervention to improve HIV prevention service engagement for people who use drugs. LOTUS provides HIV prevention informational content and tips, peer social support and social networking features, a resource locator, HIV prevention monitoring and reminders (e.g., reminders for HIV/STI testing and PrEP doses), and a virtual space to have questions answered by health care professionals. Given the disproportionate HIV-related harms people who use drugs face, and critical need for HIV prevention mHealth interventions tailored to the unique needs of this population, the current study seeks to accomplish the following aim. The primary aim is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of the LOTUS intervention in a single arm pre-post study. People who use drugs residing in Southern California (n = 40) will receive the LOTUS intervention for 6-months. The proportion of participants retained, intervention use data, and validated self-reported usability and HIV prevention service (e.g., HIV/STI testing, PrEP) knowledge, motivation, and use measures will be collected at baseline, 3-, and 6-months to assess LOTUS feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the LOTUS intervention will find the intervention to be feasible and usable, and that they will demonstrate significant improvements in HIV prevention service use at each follow-up time point when compared to baseline. The investigators will also conduct exit interviews with LOTUS participants (n = 20) to gain feedback on the intervention characteristics, as defined by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and to elicit suggestions for improvement in anticipation of a future large-scale randomized controlled trial.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALLOTUS mHealth Intervention Group
A mobile, WebApp-based intervention comprised of tips for HIV prevention, a community wall for peer interaction and support, HIV prevention monitoring and reminders, a virtual space to have questions answered by a healthcare professional, a resource database, and a personalized profile. Intervention components are designed to promote HIV prevention service use and improve social support, coping strategies, and positive affect.
Sponsors
University of California, San Diego
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
All participants in this single arm pre-post study will receive the LOTUS mHealth intervention. Participants will receive access to the LOTUS intervention for 6-months and will be assessed at baseline and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up timepoints.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* 18 years of age or older * Report weekly or daily use of opioids and/or stimulants in the past 6 months * Meet current CDC eligibility criteria for PrEP * Report low levels of HIV prevention service engagement in the past 6 months * Not currently, or planning on becoming, pregnant during the study * Owns a smartphone with internet web-browsing capabilities
Exclusion criteria
* 17 years of age or younger * Does not report weekly or daily use of opioids and/or stimulants in the past 6 months * Does not meet current CDC eligibility criteria for PrEP * Report high levels of HIV prevention service engagement in the past 6 months * Currently, or planning on becoming, pregnant during the study * Does not own a smartphone with internet web-browsing capabilities
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LOTUS Feasibility | 6 months | The feasibility of the LOTUS mHealth intervention will be measured by participant retention and via intervention use data. |
| LOTUS Acceptability | 6 months | The acceptability of the LOTUS mHealth intervention will be measured via the System Usability Scale (SUS), with possible scores ranging from 10-50 and higher scores indicating higher acceptability. |
| HIV Prevention Service Engagement | 6 months | The percentage of participants who report obtaining an HIV/STI test and/or initiating PrEP |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attitudes and Perceptions | 6 months | Attitudes and perceptions will be measured via the validated InDI measure, which is comprised of three subscales: anticipated, day-to-day, and major. Anticipated scores range from 0-4, day-to-day scores range from 0-18, and major scores range from 0-13. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTStephanie A Meyers-Pantele, PhD
Outcome results
None listed