Effectiveness of a mHealth intervention with short text messages to promote treatment adherence among Mexican adults patients with HIV: A randomized clinical trial (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND n 2022, 39 million people lived with HIV, and efforts target the 95-95-95 goal by 2030. In Mexico, key affected populations include men who have sex with men, drug users, sex workers, and transgender individuals. Adherence to treatment is vital, influenced by patient-provider relationships and access to care. eHealth interventions, notably SMS reminders, show promise in enhancing adherence. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a mHealth intervention on ART adherence amongst adult PLWHIV METHODS A randomized clinical trial on adult patients who attended the tertiary care from the university hospital “Hospital Civil de Guadalajara – Fray Antonio Alcalde” to initiate ART. mHealth intervention included the use of short message service (SMS) to interact with the patient and as a reminder system for upcoming medical examinations or ART resupply during a 6-month period. A control group (n=40) received medical attention by the standard protocol used in the hospital. Intervention effectiveness was assessed by quantifying CD4+ T cells, viral load, and a self-report of adherence by the patient. RESULTS The intervention group had greater adherence to ART than control (96% vs 92%, p = < .0001). In addition, the intervention group had better clinical characteristics, including lower viral load (141 cop/mL vs 2413 cop/mL, p = <.0001) and a tendency for a major number of CD4+ T cells (399 vs 290 cells/uL). CONCLUSIONS These results show that mHealth intervention significantly improves ART adherence. Implementing mHealth programs can improve the commitment of PLWHIV to their treatment. CLINICALTRIAL NCT05187741