AI Article Synopsis

  • The study explores the use of mobile health (mHealth) solutions to improve medication adherence among people with HIV who also use cocaine, focusing on understanding its feasibility and acceptability.
  • Focus groups with patients revealed a strong preference for text reminders over phone calls due to privacy concerns and the need for accessibility, as well as a tendency for patients to maintain control over who has access to their health information.
  • Participants highlighted the stigma surrounding HIV, suggesting that new norms need to be established for the use of mHealth; their feedback will help shape a pilot mHealth trial aimed at enhancing medication adherence.

Article Abstract

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) can provide innovative, cost-effective strategies to improve medication adherence and optimize HIV treatment outcomes. Very little, however, is known about the acceptability and feasibility of mHealth among people with HIV (PWH) who use drugs. Our study objective was to assess feasibility, acceptability, and barriers and facilitators of implementing an mHealth intervention among PWH who are cocaine users, a group for whom no pharmacological treatment to reduce cocaine use is available.

Methods: Five focus groups (FGs) (N=20) were conducted with PWH who self-reported cocaine use in the past 30 days, with 3 groups (N=8) of healthcare providers. Topics included previous experience with smartphones; barriers and facilitators of mobile technology for health purposes; and attitudes toward receiving types of feedback about adherence.

Results: Patients preferred text reminders over phone calls for reasons of privacy, accessibility and economizing phone minutes. Direct communication via text messages and phone calls was considered more appropriate for social workers and case managers, who have greater frequency of communication and deeper relationships with patients, and less so for doctors, who see patients less regularly than community health workers. Patients seem particular about who has what information, and overall, they seem to prefer that their medical information, especially HIV-related, stay within the confines of patient-provider relationships.

Conclusions: HIV still provokes stigma and makes health information particularly sensitive for both providers and patients. The rise of mobile technology and related applications such as mHealth, means that new norms have to be established for its use. Participants' suggestions and feedback informed the design of a subsequent mHealth pilot randomized control trial to improve medication adherence.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063267PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/mhealth.2019.09.12DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mobile health
8
feasibility acceptability
8
cocaine users
8
healthcare providers
8
improve medication
8
medication adherence
8
barriers facilitators
8
mobile technology
8
phone calls
8
health
5

Similar Publications

Background: Advancements in mobile technology have paved the way for innovative interventions aimed at promoting physical activity (PA).

Objective: The main objective of this feasibility study was to assess the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of the More In Action (MIA) app, designed to promote PA among older adults. MIA offers 7 features: personalized tips, PA literacy, guided peer workouts, a community calendar, a personal activity diary, a progression monitor, and a chatbot.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Digital gaming has become increasingly popular among older adults, potentially offering cognitive, social, and physical benefits. However, its broader impact on health and well-being, particularly in real-world settings, remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the multidimensional effects of digital gaming on health and well-being among older adults, using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study conducted in Matsudo City, Chiba, Japan.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Evidence-based digital therapeutics represent a new treatment modality in mental health, potentially providing cost-efficient, accessible means of augmenting existing treatments for chronic mental illnesses. CT-155/BI 3972080 is a prescription digital therapeutic under development as an adjunct to standard of care treatments for patients 18 years of age and older with experiential negative symptoms (ENS) of schizophrenia. Individual components of CT-155/BI 3972080 are designed based on the underlying principles of face-to-face treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder affecting millions worldwide, with significant impacts on daily functioning and quality of life. While traditionally assessed through subjective measures such as the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the advent of wearable technology has enabled continuous, objective sleep monitoring in natural environments. However, the relationship between subjective insomnia severity and objective sleep parameters remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: An effective primary treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents as well as adults is exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of intervention in the context of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Despite strong evidence supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of ERP from studies in research and real-world settings, its clinical use remains limited. This underuse is often attributed to access barriers such as the scarcity of properly trained therapists, geographical constraints, and costs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!