Telemedicine and Social Media for People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Greece

Targeted Focus Groups Discussions (FGDs) and Cross-sectional Questionnaire to Address Questions Regarding Telemedicine Concept and Knowledge, and Social Media Usage Among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Greece

The current study seeks to address questions regarding internet and social media usage as well as telemedicine concept and knowledge, by conducting targeted focus group discussions (FGDs) and administering cross-sectional questionnaires among PWID in Greece. Further parameters, such as perceptions for high-quality healthcare access, confidentiality, privacy, and security, will also be explored.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Telemedicine; Social Media; Drug Abuse, Intravenous; Internet
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Focus group discussions and survey questionnaire

Detailed Description

The study's aim is to access the feasibility, acceptability and accessibility of social media and telemedicine as methods to obtain healthcare, in order to improve linkage-to-care among Greek substance users. Underserved populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID) have limited access to healthcare and a potential solution to expanding healthcare access points is telemedicine. For the past decade, the investigators have studied the efficacy of a facilitated telemedicine model for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment integrated into opioid treatment programs (OTPs) for PWIDs. The investigators have achieved high rates of HCV resolution and high patient-satisfaction through facilitated telemedicine. The investigators now seek to explore whether this same intervention might be feasible and acceptable in Greece. The first step is to capture and explore the current knowledge, experiences, believes, perceptions and attitudes of PWID in Greece regarding internet and social media usage and telemedicine concept, through targeted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and administration of cross-sectional questionnaire. The perceptions for high-quality healthcare, confidentiality, privacy and security matters will also be explored as well as further relevant attributes.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 219

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Arpan Dharia, MD; Phone Number: 716-829-3101; Email: adharia@buffalo.edu

Study Locations

• Greece
  • Athens, Greece
    • Prometheus

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

PWID are a medically and socially vulnerable population with high incidence of overdose, mental illness and infections such as HIV and hepatitis C

Description

Inclusion Criteria for the FDGs:

• >18 years old
• PWID
• Willing and able to provide informed consent and participate
• Fluent in Greek spoken language
• Internet access

Inclusion Criteria for the cross-sectional questionnaire:

• >18 years old
• PWID
• Willing and able to provide informed consent and participate
• Fluent in Greek spoken language

Exclusion Criteria for FGD and cross-sectional questionnaire:

• <18 years old
• Unable/unwilling to consent
• Legally incompetent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Targeted Focus Group Discussions and Cross-sectional questionnaire; 57 people for targeted Focus Group Discussions 162 people for Cross-sectional questionnaire	Other: Focus group discussions and survey questionnaire; Questions regarding internet and social media usage, as well as telemedicine concept and knowledge. Assessment of the feasibility, acceptability and accessibility of social media and telemedicine as methods to obtain healthcare. Perceptions for high-quality healthcare access, confidentiality, privacy, and security, will also be explored.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
There are not specific predetermined endpoints to be defined.	This is a mixed methods study designed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and accessibility of telemedicine and social media to improve healthcare access among Greek PWUD. It is not an interventional trial. The results of this study will be used to generate endpoints and sample sizes for a larger trial.	For the FGDs approximately up to 3-4 months is needed to enroll all study subjects. For the cross-sectional questionnaire approximately up to 6-8 months is needed to enroll all study subjects. Endpoints will be generated according to study's results.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: State University of New York at Buffalo
• Collaborators: Hellenic Scientific Society for the Study of AIDS, Sexually Transmitted and Emerging Diseases
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Andrew Talal, MD, University at Buffalo

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hatzakis A, Sypsa V, Paraskevis D, Nikolopoulos G, Tsiara C, Micha K, Panopoulos A, Malliori M, Psichogiou M, Pharris A, Wiessing L, van de Laar M, Donoghoe M, Heckathorn DD, Friedman SR, Des Jarlais DC. Design and baseline findings of a large-scale rapid response to an HIV outbreak in people who inject drugs in Athens, Greece: the ARISTOTLE programme. Addiction. 2015 Sep;110(9):1453-67. doi: 10.1111/add.12999. Epub 2015 Jul 14.
• Talal AH, Andrews P, Mcleod A, Chen Y, Sylvester C, Markatou M, Brown LS. Integrated, Co-located, Telemedicine-based Treatment Approaches for Hepatitis C Virus Management in Opioid Use Disorder Patients on Methadone. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Jul 2;69(2):323-331. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy899.
• Talal AH, McLeod A, Andrews P, Nieves-McGrath H, Chen Y, Reynolds A, Sylvester C, Dickerson SS, Markatou M, Brown LS. Patient Reaction to Telemedicine for Clinical Management of Hepatitis C Virus Integrated into an Opioid Treatment Program. Telemed J E Health. 2019 Sep;25(9):791-801. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2018.0161. Epub 2018 Oct 16.
• Talal AH, Markatou M, Sofikitou EM, Brown LS, Perumalswami P, Dinani A, Tobin JN. Patient-centered HCV care via telemedicine for individuals on medication for opioid use disorder: Telemedicine for Evaluation, Adherence and Medication for Hepatitis C (TEAM-C). Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Jan;112:106632. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106632. Epub 2021 Nov 20.
• Talal AH, Sofikitou EM, Wang K, Dickerson S, Jaanimagi U, Markatou M. High Satisfaction with Patient-Centered Telemedicine for Hepatitis C Virus Delivered to Substance Users: A Mixed-Methods Study. Telemed J E Health. 2023 Mar;29(3):395-407. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2022.0189. Epub 2022 Aug 4.
• Sypsa V, Psichogiou M, Paraskevis D, Nikolopoulos G, Tsiara C, Paraskeva D, Micha K, Malliori M, Pharris A, Wiessing L, Donoghoe M, Friedman S, Jarlais DD, Daikos G, Hatzakis A. Rapid Decline in HIV Incidence Among Persons Who Inject Drugs During a Fast-Track Combination Prevention Program After an HIV Outbreak in Athens. J Infect Dis. 2017 May 15;215(10):1496-1505. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jix100.

Helpful Links

• Extensions of Respondent-Driven Sampling: Analyzing Continuous Variables and Controlling for Differential Recruitment

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 2, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 18, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): September 18, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 20, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 20, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): April 3, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): February 5, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 2, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Substance Abuse, Intravenous
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00007088

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No