An Avatar-based Mobile Phone Intervention to Promote Health in African American MSM

  • STATUS
    Recruiting
  • participants needed
    295
  • sponsor
    University of Illinois at Chicago
Updated on 19 February 2024

Summary

The investigators propose to determine the efficacy of "My Personal Health Guide," a theory-based innovative talking relational human Avatar mobile phone application to engage HIV-positive AAMSM in adherence and retention in care. Providing an empathetic talking Avatar source of HIV-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills that is as private and convenient as their own mobile phone might produce a high impact by overcoming barriers to HIV adherence and retention in care such as stigma and health literacy.

Description

This proposal focuses on an innovative theory-driven intervention aimed at helping to improve outcomes for AAMSM targeting 3 stages of the HIV Care Continuum, (1) retention, (2) adherence to antiretroviral medication, and (3) viral suppression. My Personal Health Guide is an innovative talking relational human Avatar mobile phone application to engage HIV-positive AAMSM in adherence and retention in care. Development of this app was informed by the Information Motivation Behavioral Skills Model that focuses on feedback between information and motivation that affect one's behavioral skills, behaviors, and desired health outcomes. In the privacy of the user's home or anywhere they have their phone, the Avatar can encourage healthy behavior, acknowledge stigma and speak with empathy, audibly teach persons with low literacy, employ credible culturally appropriate phrasing, and invite the user to hear advice and motivational stories of other HIV-positive people and their caregivers. As part of a collaboration between UIC, Emory University, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the investigators propose to test the efficacy of the My Personal Health Guide Avatar application for young HIV-positive AAMSM. In this study, 250 HIV-positive AAMSM between the ages of 18-34 years with detectable viral load at baseline will be randomized to the My Personal Health Guide Avatar application or a food safety Avatar application control intervention for a 6-month period. Wirelessly monitored ART adherence will be collected for 1-month at baseline and then wirelessly monitored ART adherence, viral load, and clinic appointment data will be collected throughout the 6-month follow-up period. The investigators hypothesize that participants in the My Personal Health Guide intervention will demonstrate significant improvements in ART adherence, viral load, and retention in care during the follow-up period compared to control participants. The investigators will also identify mobile phone application functions that are associated with improvement in adherence in order to inform refinement of the application. The investigators hypothesize that more frequent use of Avatar information functions that included motivational messages will be associated with improved ART adherence.

Details
Condition Noncompliance with medication regimen, Retention in Care
Age 18-34 years
Treatment My Personal Health Guide, My Personal Food Guide
Clinical Study IdentifierNCT04217174
SponsorUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
Last Modified on19 February 2024

Eligibility

Yes No Not Sure

Inclusion Criteria

Self-reported African American MSM
to 34 years old
Smartphone owners
Prescribed ART
Have a viral load detectable within the past 4 weeks or self-reported or provider-reported history of adherence or treatment engagement problems
Participants may be initiating ART or already on ART

Exclusion Criteria

Cannot speak English
Decline to participate
Participated in the usability and Beta testing phase of the app refinement that preceded this RCT
Do not have a routine clinic appointment scheduled during the observation time
Clear my responses

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