Comparing Mobile Health Strategies to Improve Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Use (PrEP) for HIV Prevention
Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc.
Summary
The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of two mobile health technologies (text messaging or a mobile app) designed to help people take HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as directed by the clinic. PrEP is the use of a daily anti-HIV medications by HIV-negative people to help prevent HIV infection.
Description
This is a clinic-based, multi-site, randomized, two-arm study to compare the effectiveness of two mobile technologies designed to support PrEP adherence and continuation in cisgender and transgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). All study participants will receive PrEP per standard of care at each of the study sites. Participants randomized to PrEPmate will receive an interactive bidirectional text-messaging intervention that supports PrEP use through personalized communication between patients and providers. Key components include (1) weekly short message servi…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 15+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Self-identifies as a cisgender man, transgender man (assigned female at birth, trans-masculine spectrum), or transgender woman (assigned male sex at birth, trans-feminine spectrum) * Report sex with a cisgender man or transgender woman or any individual assigned male sex at birth in the past 12 months * Age 15 years or older * Willing and able to provide written informed consent * Owns an iOS or Android mobile phone and able to access the internet and send and receive text messages * Able to understand, read, and speak English or Spanish * Newly initiated PrEP or current…
Interventions
- OtherPrEPmate
PrEPmate is a multi-component mHealth intervention grounded in the information, motivation, behavioral skills (IMB) theory of behavior change and developed through user-centered design. PrEPmate promotes personalized communication between patients and providers through interactive weekly "check-in" messages asking participants how PrEP is going, allowing navigators to identify patients needing more help in taking PrEP, and customized daily pill-taking reminder messages. Trained PrEP navigators reach out to participants who indicate they need assistance via text or phone call and provide tailored support. Additionally, the platform supports 2-way communication between patients and PrEP navigators, including reminders for upcoming clinic visits. Participants are provided links to key information about PrEP (PrEP Basics), and video testimonials of peers taking PrEP. Messages are available in English and Spanish. PrEPmate is aimed at both patients and PrEP navigators.
- DeviceDot Diary
Dot Diary is a mobile phone app that integrates an electronic pill-taking and sex diary and delivers real-time feedback on PrEP protection. Using the self-management model to increase self-efficacy and patient empowerment, participants log daily PrEP pill-taking and sexual behaviors in the app, which then provides real-time feedback on the level of protection achieved from PrEP (high, medium, low), and customized instructions on doses of PrEP needed to achieve or maintain high protection. Participants can also view a weekly and monthly calendar, including visualizations of the proportion of sex acts covered by PrEP. Finally, the Dot Diary app incorporates gamification components, including an ability to earn sex-positive badges, to increase engagement. Dot Diary is aimed only at patients.
Locations (4)
- Bridge HIV, San Francisco Department of Public HealthSan Francisco, California
- San Francisco AIDS FoundationSan Francisco, California
- Whitman-Walker HealthWashington D.C., District of Columbia
- University of MiamiMiami, Florida