Background Real-time adherence monitoring is now possible through medication storage devices equipped with cellular technology. We assessed the effect of triggered cell phone reminders and counseling utilizing objective adherence data on antiretroviral (ART) adherence among Chinese HIV-infected patients. Methods We provided ART patients in Nanning, China, with a medication device (“Wisepill”) to monitor their ART adherence electronically. After 3 months, we randomized subjects within optimal (≥95%) and suboptimal (<95%) adherence strata to intervention vs. control arms. In months 4–9, intervention subjects received individualized reminders triggered by late dose-taking (no device-opening by 30 minutes past dose time), and counseling using device-generated data. Controls received no reminders or data-informed counseling. We compared post-intervention proportions achieving optimal adherence, mean adherence, and clinical outcomes. Results Of 120 subjects enrolled, 116 (96.7%) completed the trial. Pre-intervention, optimal adherence was similar in intervention vs. control arms (63.5% vs. 58.9%, respectively; p=0.60). In the last intervention month, 87.3% vs. 51.8% achieved optimal adherence (risk ratio (RR) 1.7, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.3–2.2); mean adherence was 96.2% vs. 89.1% (p=0.003). Among pre-intervention suboptimal adherers, 78.3% vs. 33.3% (RR 2.4, CI 1.2–4.5) achieved optimal adherence; mean adherence was 93.3% vs. 84.7% (p=0.039). Proportions were 92.5% and 62.9% among optimal adherers, respectively (RR 1.5, CI 1.1–1.9); mean adherence was 97.8% vs. 91.7% (p=0.028). Post-intervention differences in clinical outcomes were not significant. Conclusion Real-time reminders significantly improved ART adherence in this population. This approach appears promising for managing HIV and other chronic diseases and warrants further investigation and adaptation in other settings.

Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires excellent adherence. Little is known about how to improve ART adherence in many HIV/AIDS-affected countries, including China. We therefore assessed an adherence intervention among HIV-positive patients in southwestern China. Eighty subjects were enrolled and monitored for 6 months. Sixty-eight remaining subjects were randomized to intervention/control arms. In months 7–12, intervention subjects were counseled using EDM feedback; controls continued with standard of care. Among randomized subjects, mean adherence and CD4 count were 86.8 vs. 83.8% and 297 vs. 357 cells/μl in intervention vs. control subjects, respectively. At month 12, among 64 subjects who completed the trial, mean adherence had risen significantly among intervention subjects to 96.5% but remained unchanged in controls. Mean CD4 count rose by 90 cells/μl and declined by 9 cells/μl among intervention and control subjects, respectively. EDM feedback as a counseling tool appears promising for management of HIV and other chronic diseases.

Although China’s government is rapidly expanding access to antiretroviral therapy, little is known about barriers to adherence among Chinese HIV-infected patients, particularly among injection drug users (IDUs). To better understand barriers to antiretroviral treatment adherence, we conducted a qualitative research study, using both focus group and key informant methods, among 36 HIV-positive men and women in Dali, in southwestern China. All interviews utilized semi-structured question guides and were conducted in Mandarin, audio-recorded, and translated into English for analysis. The most commonly cited adherence challenges were stigma, including secondary stigma experienced by family members; mental health issues; and economic concerns, particularly related to finding and maintaining employment. Distinctive gender differences emerged, partly due to previous heroin use among male respondents. Optimizing adherence may require that antiretroviral therapy programs be linked to other services, including drug addiction treatment, mental health services, and vocational treatment and support. HIV care and service providers, and policy makers in China responsible for HIV treatment, should be aware of these important barriers to adherence.

Patients who have initiated ART reported significantly less functional impairment, fewer symptoms, and better work performance than those who had not yet started treatment. The prevalence of some impairment, symptoms, and absenteeism remained high, however.

We collected data on feasibility and acceptability of a real-time web-linked adherence monitoring container among HIV-positive injection drug users (IDU) in China. “Wisepill” uses wireless technology to track on-time medication dosing. Ten patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at the Guangxi CDC HIV clinic in Nanning, China, used Wisepill for one ART medication for one month. We monitored device use and adherence and explored acceptability of the device among patients. Mean adherence was 89.2% (SD 10.6%). Half of the subjects reported a positive overall experience with Wisepill. Seven said that it was inconvenient, supported by comments that it was large and conspicuous. Five worried about disclosure of HIV status due to the device; no disclosures were reported. Twelve signal lapses occurred (5.4% of prescribed doses), of which one was due to technical reasons, nine to behavioral reasons (both intentional and unintentional), and two to unclear reasons. Although the technical components must be monitored carefully, and acceptability to patients presents challenges which warrant further exploration, the Wisepill device has potential for adherence interventions that deliver rapid adherence-support behavioral feedback directly to patients, including IDU. The use of wireless technology appears uniquely promising for providing time-sensitive communication on patient behavior that can be harnessed to maximize the benefits of HIV treatment.

Little is known about the importance of dose timing to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). In a cohort comprised of Chinese HIV/AIDS patients, we measured adherence among subjects for six months using three methods in parallel: self-report using a visual analog scale (SR-VAS), pill count, and electronic drug monitors (EDM). We calculated two adherence metrics using the EDM data. The first metric used the proportion of doses taken; the second metric credited doses as adherent only if taken within a 1-hour window of a pre-specified dose time (EDM ‘proportion taken within dose time’). Of the adherence measures, EDM had the strongest associations with viral suppression. Of the two EDM metrics, incorporating dose timing had a stronger association with viral suppression. We conclude that dose timing is also an important determinant of successful ART, and should be considered as an additional dimension to overall adherence.

We found no statistically significant differences in most education, health and labour outcomes between orphans and the non-orphans with whom they live. Paternal orphans are more likely to be behind in school, and recent mobility has a positive effect on schooling outcomes.

BackgroundThe “treatment gap” (TG) for mental disorders, widely advocated by the WHO in low-and middle-income countries, is an important indicator of the extent to which a health system fails to meet the care needs of people with mental disorder at the population level. While there is limited research on the TG in these countries, there is even a greater paucity of studies looking at TG beyond a unidimensional understanding. This study explores several dimensions of the TG construct for people with psychosis in Sodo, a rural district in Ethiopia, and its implications for building a more holistic capacity for mental health services.MethodThe study was a cross-sectional survey of 300 adult participants with psychosis identified through community-based case detection and confirmed through subsequent structured clinical evaluations. The Butajira Treatment Gap Questionnaire (TGQ), a new customised tool with 83 items developed by the Ethiopia research team, was administered to evaluate several TG dimensions (access, adequacy and effectiveness of treatment, and impact/consequence of the treatment gap) across a range of provider types corresponding with the WHO pyramid service framework.ResultsLifetime and current access gap for biomedical care were 41.8 and 59.9% respectively while the corresponding figures for faith and traditional healing (FTH) were 15.1 and 45.2%. Of those who had received biomedical care for their current episode, 71.7% did not receive minimally adequate care. Support from the community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were negligible. Those with education (Adj. OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.8) and history of use of FTH (Adj. OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.9–5.4) were more likely to use biomedical care. Inadequate biomedical care was associated with increased lifetime risk of adverse experiences, such as history of restraint, homelessness, accidents and assaults.ConclusionThis is the first study of its kind. Viewing TG not as a unidimensional, but as a complex, multi-dimensional construct, offers a more realistic and holistic understanding of health beliefs, help-seeking behaviors, and need for care. The reconceptualized multidimensional TG construct could assist mental health services capacity building advocacy and policy efforts and allow community and NGOs play a larger role in supporting mental healthcare.