Alignment and specifics of Brazilian health agencies in relation to the international premises for the implementation of digital health in primary health care: a rhetorical analysis.

Digital health and sustainable development goals have had strong impacts with the COVID-19 pandemic. In Brazil, the health crisis scenario required changes in social welfare programs and policies, based on recommendations from international agencies, such as the UN and WHO. This study aims to analyze the alignment of the arguments of Brazilian and international organizations for the adoption of digital health in Primary Health Care based on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The use, adherence, and evaluation of interactive text-messaging among women admitted to prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV care in Kenya (WelTel PMTCT).

Background: To improve future mobile health (mHealth) interventions in resource-limited settings, knowledge of participants' adherence to interactive interventions is needed, but previous studies are limited. We aimed to investigate how women in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) care in Kenya used, adhered to, and evaluated an interactive text-messaging intervention.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study nested within the WelTel PMTCT trial among 299 pregnant women living with HIV aged ≥ 18 years.

The effect of an interactive weekly text-messaging intervention on retention in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV care: a randomised controlled trial (WelTel PMTCT).

Retention in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) care is critical to prevent vertical HIV transmission and reduce morbidity and mortality of mother-infant pairs. We investigated whether weekly, interactive text-messaging improved 18-month postpartum retention in PMTCT care. This randomised, two-armed, parallel trial was conducted at six PMTCT clinics in western Kenya.

Exploring Primary Healthcare Experiences and Interest in Mobile Technology Engagement Amongst an Urban Population Experiencing Barriers to Care.

Mobile phone-based engagement approaches provide potential platforms for improving access to primary healthcare (PHC) services for underserved populations. We held two focus groups (February 2020) with residents ( = 25) from a low-income urban neighbourhood (downtown Vancouver, Canada), to assess recent healthcare experiences and elicit interest in mobile phone-based healthcare engagement for underserved residents. Note-based analysis, guided by interpretative description, was used to explore emerging themes.

SMS-based digital health intervention in Rwanda's home-based care program for remote management of COVID-19 cases and contacts: A qualitative study of sustainability and scalability.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented global health challenges. Rwanda identified its first COVID-19 case on March 14, 2020 and subsequently introduced Home-Base Care (HBC) Program in August 2020 following community transmission of the virus and to alleviate logistical and financial strain on the healthcare system. Cases and contacts eligible for HBC were remotely supported by WelTel, an SMS-based mHealth intervention that was successfully implemented before for HIV epidemic in Rwanda.

Mobile phone access and preferences among medical inpatients at an urban Canadian hospital for post-discharge planning: A pre-COVID-19 cross-sectional survey.

Background: Digital health interventions are increasingly used for patient care, yet little data is available on the phone access type and usage preferences amongst medical ward inpatients to inform the most appropriate digital interventions post-discharge.

Methods: To identify mobile phone ownership, internet access, and cellular use preferences among medical inpatients, we conducted a researcher-administered survey of patients admitted to five internal medicine units at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) in January 2020. The survey was administered over 2 days separated by a 2-week period.

The effect of weekly interactive text-messaging on early infant HIV testing in Kenya: a randomised controlled trial (WelTel PMTCT).

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV remains a significant concern in Africa despite earlier progress. Early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV is crucial to reduce mortality among infected infants through early treatment initiation. However, a large proportion of HIV-exposed infants are still not tested in Kenya.

Kukaa Salama (Staying Safe): study protocol for a pre/post-trial of an interactive mHealth intervention for increasing COVID-19 prevention practices with urban refugee youth in Kampala, Uganda.

Introduction: With over 82.4 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide, there remains an urgent need to better describe culturally, contextually and age-tailored strategies for preventing COVID-19 in humanitarian contexts. Knowledge gaps are particularly pronounced for urban refugees who experience poverty, overcrowded living conditions and poor sanitation access that constrain the ability to practise COVID-19 mitigation strategies such as physical distancing and frequent hand washing.

Interventions to improve birth outcomes of pregnant women living in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Improving the health of pregnant women is important to prevent adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth and low birthweight. We evaluated the comparative effectiveness of interventions under the domains of micronutrient, balanced energy protein, deworming, maternal education, and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for their effects on these adverse birth outcomes. For this network meta-analysis, we searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of interventions provided to pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Interventions to improve linear growth during complementary feeding period for children aged 6-24 months living in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Optimizing linear growth in children during complementary feeding period (CFP) (6-24 months) is critical for their development. Several interventions, such as micronutrient and food supplements, deworming, maternal education, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), could potentially be provided to prevent stunting, but their comparative effectiveness are currently unclear. In this study, we evaluated comparative effectiveness of interventions under these domains on child linear growth outcomes of height-for-age z-score (HAZ) and stunting (HAZ <-2SD) For this study, we searched for low- and middle-income country (LMIC)-based randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of aforementioned interventions provided to children during CFP.

The Cedar Project - Mobile Phone Use and Acceptability of Mobile Health Among Young Indigenous People Who Have Used Drugs in British Columbia, Canada: Mixed Methods Exploratory Study.

Background: Indigenous leaders continue to be concerned about high rates of HIV and barriers to HIV treatment among young Indigenous people involved in substance use. Growing evidence suggests that using mobile phones for health (mHealth) may be a powerful way to support connection with health services, including HIV prevention and treatment.

Objective: This study examined the patterns of mobile phone ownership and use among young Indigenous people who have used drugs living with or vulnerable to HIV and explored the acceptability of mHealth to support access to health care in this population.

An overview of platform trials with a checklist for clinical readers.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to outline key considerations for general clinical readers when critically evaluating publications on platform trials and for researchers when designing these types of clinical trials.

Study Design And Setting: In this review, we describe key concepts of platform trials with case study discussion of two hallmark platform trials in STAMPEDE and I-SPY2. We provide reader's guide to platform trials with a critical appraisal checklist.

Retention in clinic versus retention in care during the first year of HIV care in Nairobi, Kenya: a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: When measuring the success of HIV programmes to retain patients in care, few studies distinguish between retention in clinic (individual returns to the same clinic) and retention in care (individual is active in care at initial site or elsewhere). The objectives of this study were to quantify retention in clinic versus retention in care and determine risk factors associated with attrition from care in low-income settings in Nairobi, Kenya.

Methods: Between April 2013 and June 2015, adults testing positive for HIV were recruited at two comprehensive care clinics in informal urban settlements.

A pilot randomized controlled trial on the impact of text messaging check-ins and a web-based asthma action plan versus a written action plan on asthma exacerbations.

Objective: We compared electronic asthma action plans (eAAP) supported by automated text messaging service (SMS) with written asthma action plans (AAP) on assessing acceptability and asthma control improvement. We hypothesized that the patients in eAAP group would have more improvements in their quality of life, asthma control and decreased asthma exacerbations.

Methods: Patients with physician-diagnosed asthma having at least one asthma exacerbation in the previous 12 months were recruited.

Health Care Provider Utilization and Cost of an mHealth Intervention in Vulnerable People Living With HIV in Vancouver, Canada: Prospective Study.

Background: Improving adherence to combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) can be challenging, especially among vulnerable populations living with HIV. Even where cART is available free of charge, social determinants of health act as barriers to optimal adherence rates. Patient-centered approaches exploiting mobile phone communications (mHealth) have been shown to improve adherence to cART and promote achievement of suppressed HIV plasma viral loads.

Interactive Two-Way mHealth Interventions for Improving Medication Adherence: An Evaluation Using The Behaviour Change Wheel Framework.

Background: Medication adherence is an important but highly complex set of behaviors, which for life-threatening and infectious diseases such as HIV carry critical consequences for individual and public health. There is growing evidence that mobile phone text messaging interventions (mHealth) connecting providers with patients positively impact medication adherence, particularly two-way engagement platforms that require bidirectional communication versus one-way in which responses are not mandatory. However, mechanisms of action have not been well defined.

A Mobile Health Strategy to Support Adherence to Antiretroviral Preexposure Prophylaxis.

Preexposure prophylaxis is a highly protective HIV prevention strategy, yet nonadherence can significantly reduce its effectiveness. We conducted a mixed methods evaluation of a mobile health intervention (iText) that utilized weekly bidirectional text or e-mail support messages to encourage preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence among participants in the multi-site iPrEx open-label extension study. A convenience sample of PrEP users from the San Francisco and Chicago sites participated in a 12-week pilot study.

The effect of text messaging on latent tuberculosis treatment adherence: a randomised controlled trial.

There is limited high-quality evidence available to inform the use of text messaging to improve latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment adherence.We performed a parallel, randomised controlled trial at two sites to assess the effect of a two-way short message service on LTBI adherence. We enrolled adults initiating LTBI therapy from June 2012 to September 2015 in British Columbia, Canada.

Effect of an interactive text-messaging service on patient retention during the first year of HIV care in Kenya (WelTel Retain): an open-label, randomised parallel-group study.

Background: Retention of patients in HIV care is crucial to ensure timely treatment initiation, viral suppression, and to avert AIDS-related deaths. We did a randomised trial to determine whether a text-messaging intervention improved retention during the first year of HIV care.

Methods: This unmasked, randomised parallel-group study was done at two clinics in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.

Gender differences in health-related quality of life at the time of a positive HIV test - a cross-sectional study in a resource-poor, high prevalence setting in Nairobi, Kenya.

Few studies have examined gender differences in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV disproportionately affects women. Objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine gender differences in HRQoL at the time of a positive HIV test, and whether factors associated with HRQoL differed between men and women. Adults testing HIV-positive were recruited from two clinics located in informal settlements.