mHealth Facilitated Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence Among Persons Living With HIV (Super SMART)

April 3, 2023 updated by: Rhode Island Hospital
HIV medications can be very effective at helping patients have longer, healthier lives. However, many patients do not take their HIV medications as prescribed. This study aims to test a promising HIV medication adherence health coaching intervention delivered primarily via a smartphone application. N = 400 persons living with HIV will be enrolled across two sites (Providence, RI & Atlanta, GA). Participants will be randomly assigned, with a 2:1 ratio, to receive a 1) health coaching session with access to a smartphone application that provides medication reminders and remote access to the health coach or a 2) health coaching session only. Participants will complete interviews at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after baseline. Some participants will also complete interviews at 18 and 24 months after baseline. Data analysis will examine the extent to which the intervention improves ART medication adherence, as well as other factors, compared to the control condition, which approximates standard of care.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

There are more than a million persons living with HIV in the United States. Despite the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART), viral suppression, particularly durable viral suppression, can be difficult to achieve. Suboptimal ART adherence plays a significant role in unsuccessful viral suppression, which increases the risk of disease progression, a shortened lifespan, transmission to others, and the development of treatment resistant strains of HIV. As a result, interventions targeting adherence have been developed. There have been some signs of success, particularly with more intensive interventions. However, there is a need to develop efficacious ART adherence interventions that are readily disseminable and make efficient use of available resources. To that end, PI Ramsey developed and tested an mHealth facilitated ART adherence intervention that includes a single face-to-face ART adherence session delivered by a health coach, followed by 12 months of access to an app and health coaching delivered via the app. The app generates a push notification medication reminder, and adherence data are available to the health coach via a "dashboard," allowing the health coach to monitor adherence in real time and provide support. The health coach uses a two-way secure messaging feature on the app to message participants and to provide support, encouragement, and resources, including links and attachments, in response to adherence lapses and in response to participant-generated messages. The combination of a face-to-face intervention component followed by app facilitated health coaching represents a novel combination that affords participants with a personal connection to a health coach while minimizing the resources needed to deliver the intervention and maximizing timely responsiveness to adherence lapses and other participant needs. A preliminary randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the intervention to a control condition in which participants received the single face-to-face ART adherence session alone. Based on pilot data, the protocol and intervention are highly feasible and acceptable, and results are consistent with preliminary efficacy of the intervention on objective measures of ART adherence. This study will expand on this preliminary test of the intervention using a fully powered RCT (n=400) across two sites (Providence, RI and Atlanta, GA). The long-term goal of this line of research is to disseminate an efficacious, mHealth facilitated ART adherence intervention that can be readily integrated into clinical care. This study will examine the impact of the intervention, relative to control, on electronic pillbox ART adherence and viral load data. In addition, the role of theoretically supported variables in the mediation and moderation of intervention effects will be explored. Interviews will be conducted at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. A subset of participants will also complete interviews at 18 and 24 months to explore sustained intervention effects. If found efficacious, the intervention could be broadly integrated into clinical care for HIV, reducing morbidity and mortality among PLWH in a manner that makes efficient use of available resources.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
400

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Emory University
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02903
        • Recruiting
        • Rhode Island Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • at least 18 years of age
  • prescribed ART
  • diagnosed with HIV
  • detectable viral load (>20 copies/mL) in past 6 months
  • less than 100% self-reported medication adherence

Exclusion Criteria:

  • physical impairments that would prevent completion of the intervention
  • cognitive impairments that jeopardize informed consent and/or intervention comprehension
  • active psychosis
  • not fluent in English

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Control
Behavioral: Face-to-Face ART Adherence Intervention
All participants will receive a one hour face-to-face session with an adherence coach, based on LifeSteps. The session will cover behavioral skills that are important for maintaining adherence to ART and will explore potential barriers for managing each skill. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, problem solving, and motivational interviewing techniques are used to explore barriers and create health goals.
Experimental: mHealth Facilitated Adherence Coaching
Behavioral: Face-to-Face ART Adherence Intervention
All participants will receive a one hour face-to-face session with an adherence coach, based on LifeSteps. The session will cover behavioral skills that are important for maintaining adherence to ART and will explore potential barriers for managing each skill. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, problem solving, and motivational interviewing techniques are used to explore barriers and create health goals.
Behavioral: Carium Mobile Health Platform
Participants assigned to the experimental condition will receive access to a mobile health app, called Carium, for 12 months. The app will be used to facilitate continued coaching from the adherence coach. The app incorporates automated medications reminders with interactive adherence coaching via a secure messaging feature. Participants will receive custom medication reminders as push notifications that will ask them to indicate if they have taken their medication or not. This will allow adherence coaches to monitor self-reported adherence in the app. Adherence coaches will use the secure messaging feature to check-in with participants and reach out to participants who appear to be struggling with adherence and offer assistance.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Electronic Pillbox ART Adherence
Time Frame: 12 Months
ART adherence will be measured objectively with an electronic pillbox. In this study, the electronic pillbox will be a MEMS Cap. The MEMS Cap is a battery operated electronic bottle cap that is affixed to a pill bottle and records the date and time a patient opens their bottle but provides no feedback or reminders. Participants will be given a MEMS Cap and instructions on how to use it at the baseline interview. Data will be downloaded from the MEMS Cap at all proceeding study visits.
12 Months
HIV Viral Load
Time Frame: 12 Months
HIV viral load data will be extracted from participants' medical record if it was performed as a part of clinical care prior to the study visit. Otherwise, viral load will be collected from laboratories at the study sites. All laboratories will use assays with sensitivity to detect viral load > 20 copies/mL. For the 18- and 24-month follow-up, VL data will only be collected via medical record extraction.
12 Months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
ART Adherence Barriers
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, & 24-month follow-up interviews.
Barriers to adherence will be assessed with the LifeWindows Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills ART Adherence Questionnaire.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, & 24-month follow-up interviews.
HIV Treatment Adherence Self-Efficacy
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, & 24-month follow-up interviews.
Self-efficacy for adherence to HIV medication will be assessed using HIV-ASES. The HIV-ASES is a 12-item scale of patient confidence in their ability to carry out behaviors related to adherence to medication regimens.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, & 24-month follow-up interviews.
Substance Use
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
The Timeline Followback (TLFB_ interview will be used to assess daily substance use. At baseline, it will be administered for the three months prior to the interview. At follow-up interviews, the TLFB will be used to assess the period of time since the previous interview. The TLFB will provide data on the number of standard drinks consumed per day and types of drug classes used each day.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Depressive Symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) will be used to measure level of depressive symptoms. Scores range from 0 - 60, with higher scores representing higher depressive symptomology.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
HIV Stigma
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
The HIV Stigma Scale will be used to assess perceived stigma related to HIV. Scores range from 40 - 160, with higher scores representing higher perceived HIV stigma.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-Reported ART Adherence
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, & 24-month follow-up interviews.
Self-reported adherence to ART will be assessed with AACTG Medication Adherence Questionnaire and Wilson's Three Adherence Questions. The AACTG asks participants to list all prescribed HIV medications and the number of doses prescribed per day. Then participants are asked the number of doses missed in the past 7 days. Wilson's three adherence questions ask about adherence in the past 30 days.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, & 24-month follow-up interviews.
HIV Treatment Retention
Time Frame: 12- & 24- month follow-up interviews.
Information about participants' attendance to HIV medical appointments will be extracted from their medical records. The U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) definition of treatment retention will be used to determine whether a participant has been retained in treatment or not. The HRSA defines treatment retention as having at least two outpatient visits separated by at least 90 days during a 12-month period.
12- & 24- month follow-up interviews.
Treatment Received
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
The Treatment Services Review (TSR) will be used to assess receipt of case management, psychiatric, substance use, and other treatment services. At the baseline interview, participants will be asked about services received in the previous three months. At follow-up interviews, they will be asked about services received since the previous interview.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Medications
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Participants will asked to provide information regarding their use of prescribed medications for medical, psychiatric, or substance use indications.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Treatment Fatigue
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Treatment fatigue will be assessed with an abbreviated version of the Brief Patient Experience Survey.
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Medical Mistrust
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Medical mistrust will be assessed with the 7-item Medical Mistrust Index 2.0 (MMI).
Baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, & 12-month follow-up interviews.
Time Spent Delivering Intervention
Time Frame: 12-month follow-up interview.
As a metric of potential implementation, the amount of time spent communicating with participants assigned to the experimental condition on the Carium app will be extracted from the app.
12-month follow-up interview.
Intervention Feedback
Time Frame: 12- & 24- month follow-up interviews.
Feedback about the intervention will be collected with System Usability Scale (SUS) and semi-structured interview questions.
12- & 24- month follow-up interviews.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Rhode Island Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Emory University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 6, 2021

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2025

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 3, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 15, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 16, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 5, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 3, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • R01MH125796 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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