Smartphone Use and Willingness to Pay for HIV Treatment-Assisted Smartphone Applications among HIV-Positive Patients in Urban Clinics of Vietnam

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-assisted smartphone applications in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was performed in two urban outpatient clinics in Hanoi from May to December 2019. A simple random sampling method and a structured questionnaire were used to recruit 495 eligible participants and to collect data. Multivariable modified Poisson regression and multivariable linear regression models were employed to investigate the factors associated with the willingness to pay (WTP) and amount of money patients were willing to pay. Approximately 82.8% of respondents were willing to pay for the hypothetical applications, with the mean amount the participants were willing to pay of Vietnam Dong (VND) 72,100/month. Marital status (separate/divorced/widow: Odds ratio (OR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.09; 1.50) and having spouse/partner: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = (1.03; 1.36)) and using health services (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = (1.01; 1.04)) were positively associated with nominating they would be WTP for the app, whereas the duration of antiretroviral treatment (ART) (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = (0.96; 0.99)) had a negative association. The frequency of using health services (β = 0.04, 95% CI = (−0.07; −0.01)) was negatively associated with the amount of WTP. High levels of WTP revealed the feasibility of implementing smartphone-based apps for HIV treatment. This study implied the necessity to consider a co-payment system to reach populations who were in need but where such applications may be unaffordable in lieu of other treatment-associated expenses. Developers also need to pay attention to privacy features to attract single people living with HIV/AIDS and additional measures to initiate people with a long duration on ART into using the applications.

Factors Influencing Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among HIVpositive Youth Patients Attending ART Clinic in Kiryandongo General Hospital Kiryandongo District

“…Respondents who got information from healthcare facilities were more likely to adhere to antiretroviral treatment as compared to those who didn't. Similar results were reported in a study carried out in the USA where respondents who never got advice from healthcare providers had lower adherence as compared to ones who got advice from healthcare providers [37,38]. The majority of the respondents stayed at a distance of more than three kilometers, which could have made it difficult for the respondents to access ART clinics.…”

Evaluation of Chinese HIV Mobile Apps by Researchers and Patients With HIV: Quality Evaluation Study

“…The average subjective quality score (mean 2.85, SD 0.77) was significantly higher than that of the mobile apps without privacy protection features (mean 2.34, SD 0.58). This observed phenomenon may be attributed to the fact that inadequate privacy protection design may lead to user wariness and lower intentions and frequencies of use regarding AIDS mobile apps [41]. Therefore, we strongly suggest that all AIDS-related mobile apps incorporate privacy policies or agreements to alleviate user concerns about privacy protection, enhance user trust, and promote willingness to use these apps.…”

Efektivitas Telenursing: Mobile Phone Reminder terhadap Kepatuhan Minum Obat Antiretroviral (ARV) Pada Pasien HIV/AIDS (ODHA):A Systematic Review

“…Penggunaan teknologi telepon seluler/ponsel yang disesuaikan dengan perkembangan teknologi sebagai media intervensi telenursing telah dianggap sebagai solusi yang menjanjikan untuk meningkatkan kepatuhan terapi ARV (Santos, V. D. F., et al, 2019;Bui TM et al, 2021;Mehra, N. et al, 2021).…”