HIV Medication Adherence Research Articles

784. Do Patients and Healthcare Professionals See Eye-to-Eye on the Usefulness of Strategies for Promoting HIV Care?

BackgroundMany studies have identified barriers to achieving goals for HIV care, thereby informing various intervention strategies. However, whether a given strategy can effectively overcome key barriers may depend on the extent to which patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) agree that it is useful. To address this gap, we conducted a survey study to compare patients’ and HCPs’ perceptions of strategies for promoting HIV prevention, medication adherence, and care retention.MethodsThe survey was administered to patients and their HCPs as part of collaborative educational programs held in 12 community clinics in urban and suburban areas across 6 southeastern states. Participants included each clinic’s staff and their patients living with or at risk for HIV infection. The surveys listed 12 strategies for overcoming barriers to HIV prevention, adherence, and retention. Patients and HCPs rated the extent to which each strategy would be helpful for achieving desired goals (scale: 1 = very unhelpful to 5 = very helpful). We conducted χ 2 or Fisher’s exact tests to assess between-group differences in the frequency of pooled ratings of 4 (helpful) and 5 (very helpful).ResultsSurveys were completed by 224 patients (69% with HIV diagnosis, mean age 47 years, 42% women, 75% African American) and 39 HCPs (42% health educators/counselors, 31% nurse practitioners, 24% social workers, 3% physicians). Among other findings (Figures 1–3), similar percentages of patients and HCPs, respectively, gave ratings of 4 or 5 for taking pills (PrEP) that prevent HIV (83%, 80%); using a smartphone app with medication reminders (78%, 74%); and making it easier to get clinic appointments (90%, 85%). More discordant perceptions, all reflecting lower percentages of 4 or 5 ratings among patients than HCPs, were evident for talking with a counselor (82%, 90%); getting support from friends and family (82%, 92%); and improving relationships with clinic staff (85%, 100%).ConclusionThese findings may inform interventions that are perceived by both patients and HCPs to be helpful for promoting HIV prevention, medication adherence, and retention. Effective interventions must address any discordance between patients and HCPs in the usefulness of selected strategies. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Assessing the impact of food insecurity on HIV medication adherence in the context of an integrated care programme for people living with HIV in Vancouver, Canada.

Food insecurity, or self-reports of inadequate food access due to limited financial resources, remains prevalent among people living with HIV (PLHIV). We examined the impact of food insecurity on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) adherence within an integrated care programme that provides services to PLHIV, including two meals per day. Adjusted OR (aOR) were estimated by generalized estimating equations, quantifying the relationship between food insecurity (exposure) and cART adherence (outcome) with multivariable logistic regression. We drew on survey data collected between February 2014 and March 2016 from the Dr. Peter Centre Study based in Vancouver, Canada. The study included 116 PLHIV at baseline, with ninety-nine participants completing a 12-month follow-up interview. The median (quartile 1-quartile 3) age was 46 (39-52) years at baseline and 87 % (n 101) were biologically male at birth. At baseline, 74 % (n 86) of participants were food insecure (≥2 affirmative responses on Health Canada's Household Food Security Survey Module) and 67 % (n 78) were adherent to cART ≥95 % of the time. In the adjusted regression analysis, food insecurity was associated with suboptimal cART adherence (aOR = 0·47, 95 % CI 0·24, 0·93). While food provision may reduce some health-related harms, there remains a relationship between this prevalent experience and suboptimal cART adherence in this integrated care programme. Future studies that elucidate strategies to mitigate food insecurity and its effects on cART adherence among PLHIV in this setting and in other similar environments are necessary.

Problem-Based Learning Could Tackle the Issue of Insufficient Education and Adherence in People Living With HIV/AIDS.

Background: Poor medication adherence is still the main cause of antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Effective behavioral interventions are needed to improve HIV awareness and medication adherence. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) approaches to HIV-related education and adherence outcomes among PLWHA and a college student sample. In our study, compared with 309 demography-matched control participants using conventional counseling methods (109 PLWHA and 200 college students), 321 subjects (111 PLWHA and 210 college students) chose to learn HIV-related knowledge via PBL-integrated methods. Co-primary outcomes were self-administered questionnaire after HIV-related education by all participants and self-reported medication adherence by newly diagnosed PLWHA, measured in terms of the number of missed doses in the past week at each of the seven visits during a 1-year period. Multivariate regression models adjusting different covariates were used to test the robustness of HIV awareness and adherence association. Mediation model was used to investigate the relationship among PBL training, awareness of HIV, and ART adherence. Results: The knowledge scores of participants in the PBL group were higher than those in the controls (P = 0.001), especially the subgroup of newly diagnosed PLWHA in the PBL group (P = 0.001). The HIV-related health scores of the PBL college students were also higher than those of subjects exposed to conventional education (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two by newly diagnosed PLWHA groups in the number of missed doses during the past week at each visit except at the first follow-up visit (P = 0.018). The indirect effect of PBL-integrated education on ART adherence at the 2-week visit through HIV awareness had a point estimate of 0.0349 and a 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval of 0.0061∼0.0874 in newly diagnosed PLWHA. Conclusions: PLWHA and college students using PBL showed improved awareness of HIV and higher levels of recent ART adherence; however, there was no change in long-term ART adherence in newly diagnosed PLWHA.

Necessity and concerns beliefs and HIV medication adherence: a systematic review.

According to the Necessity-Concerns Framework, beliefs about medication necessity and concerns are two core themes from diverse patient medication beliefs across chronic illnesses that may directly influence adherence. Past work has supported associations of necessity and concerns to adherence in the chronic disease literature and in HIV research. However, there has not been a focused review of the literature on associations of necessity and concerns to HIV medication adherence, nor on what variables may influence these associations. This systematic review synthesized findings from 26 studies regarding associations of necessity and concerns to HIV medication adherence. Both beliefs showed small, clinically significant effects on adherence. A subset of studies identified perceptions of healthcare providers as determinants of necessity and concerns beliefs with indirect effects on adherence. Overall, necessity and concerns demonstrated clinically significant associations to adherence among people with HIV.

HIV-Related Stigmatization and Medication Adherence: Indirect Effects of Disclosure Concerns and Depression.

Stigmatization due to HIV status may interfere with disease management among persons living with HIV (PLWHA) by heightening serostatus disclosure concerns and vulnerability to depressive symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, indirect effects of disclosure concerns and depressive symptoms were examined for the association of stigma to treatment adherence (medication and clinic appointment adherence) in an outpatient sample of PLWHA. Participants (N = 179; 47% White, 41% African-American; 35% MSM) completed measures of stigma-related experiences, concerns about disclosing HIV status, depression, and medication adherence; clinic appointment attendance was obtained from chart data. Stigma had an indirect effect on medication adherence (but not clinic attendance) via disclosure concerns. Stigma had indirect effects on both medication adherence and clinic attendance via depressive symptoms. In path analyses including both disclosure concerns and depressive symptoms, combined indirect effects emerged for both medication adherence and clinic attendance. There was a significant indirect pathway from stigma to disclosure concerns to depression to clinic attendance, whereas the positioning of the mediators was swapped for the significant indirect pathway from stigma to medication adherence. These analyses provide evidence that stigmatizing experiences negatively affect treatment adherence through the indirect effects of disclosure concerns and depressive symptoms. Disclosure concerns and depressive symptoms are two mechanisms worthy of further research to enhance understanding of the association between stigma and treatment adherence difficulties.

The Relationship of HIV-related Stigma and Health Care Outcomes in the US Deep South.

HIV-related stigma is prevalent in the US Deep South; however, information regarding the types of stigma and their effects on HIV-related outcomes is limited. This study examined the prevalence of different forms of stigma and the association of stigma with medication and medical visit adherence in the Deep South. Survey participants included 201 individuals living with HIV recruited from Infectious Diseases Clinics (ID) and AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in four Deep South states. Study participants reported high levels of experienced, perceived, and internalized stigma. Multivariable analysis revealed that internalized stigma and recent stigmatizing experiences were significantly associated with poorer HIV medication adherence. Internalized stigma was also associated with having missed an HIV medical care visit in the last 6months. These findings suggest the need to identify and develop effective interventions to address internalized HIV-related stigma and to address community HIV stigma to improve outcomes for individuals living with HIV.

Medication Beliefs, HIV-Related Stigmatization, and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy: An Examination of Alternative Models

HIV-related stigma and beliefs about medication necessity and concerns have separately demonstrated significant associations with antiretroviral adherence in people with HIV. However, no work has examined both of these associations in the same model. Based on the necessity-concerns framework, this study examined four alternative models of relationships among HIV-related stigma, medication beliefs, and adherence. Cross-sectional analyses were used to test the four alternative models to best depict associations among HIV-related stigma, medication beliefs, and medication adherence. Models tested included two indirect effects models, an interaction model, and a simple predictors model with no interaction or indirect effects. The outcome variable was HIV medication adherence, and model fit was determined by variance accounted for, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) values. An interaction model between internalized stigma and medication concerns accounted for the most variance in adherence. There was also a significant indirect effect of internalized stigma on adherence via medication concerns. Medication concerns are a promising target for interventions focusing on increasing adherence among people with HIV.

“Someone who is in this thing that I am suffering from”: The role of peers and other facilitators for task sharing substance use treatment in South African HIV care

South Africa is home to the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Alongside the HIV/AIDS epidemic, problematic alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is prevalent and associated with poor HIV treatment and secondary HIV prevention outcomes. International guidelines and local policy both support the integration of mental health care and AOD treatment into HIV care, yet barriers exist to implementation. This study aimed to explore patient and provider perspectives on the integration of HIV and AOD treatment services in Cape Town, South Africa. This included barriers and facilitators to task sharing AOD treatment in HIV care and preferences for a task shared approach to integrating AOD treatment in HIV care, including who should deliver the behavioural intervention. We conducted thirty semi-structured qualitative interviews with HIV and AOD treatment staff, providers, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) with moderate, problematic AOD use and difficulties (personal or structural) adhering to HIV treatment. Findings illustrated several key themes: (1) the separation between AOD and HIV services (a “siloed treatment experience”), even in the context of geographic co-location; (2) low AOD treatment literacy among HIV patients and providers, including a low awareness of existing AOD use services, even when co-located; (3) substance use stigma as a barrier to HIV and AOD treatment integration; (4) a strong patient preference for peer interventionists; and (5) the role of community health workers (CHWs) in detecting AOD use among some PLWH who had not followed up in HIV care. These findings will inform a future type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial, guided by the RE-AIM framework, to evaluate a task shared, evidence-based intervention to address problematic AOD use and improve HIV medication adherence in this setting.

Perceived Social Support Among Adults Struggling With Adherence to HIV Care and Treatment.

Few studies have examined perceived social support among the subgroup of the HIV population that struggles with adherence to HIV care and treatment. A secondary analysis from 2 HIV medication adherence intervention studies was conducted using a mixed method design. Participants were not taking HIV medications as prescribed or had fallen out of HIV care. Two major themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis: extreme isolation and constant turmoil. Overall social support scores were low, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Convergent qualitative data excerpt corresponded with low scores on every dimension of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Findings from our study indicate that adults living with HIV who struggled with taking HIV medications lacked social support in many areas of their lives. Interventions that focus on perceptions of available social support may be helpful for individuals with ongoing HIV medication adherence challenges.

WYZ: a pilot study protocol for designing and developing a mobile health application for engagement in HIV care and medication adherence in youth and young adults living with HIV

IntroductionYouth and young adults bear a disproportionate share of the HIV burden and there is a critical need for interventions to curb health disparities experienced among these age groups. The...

A triaged real-time alert intervention to improve antiretroviral therapy adherence among young African American men who have sex with men living with HIV: focus group findings

BackgroundAmong persons living with HIV, poorer antiretroviral therapy adherence has been reported in African Americans and disproportionate mortality reported in young African American men who have sex with men (AAMSM) compared to whites. We report the results of focus groups with young AAMSM living with HIV that explore their opinions about the acceptability and feasibility of a triaged real-time missed dose alert intervention to improve treatment adherence.The purpose of this study is to develop a theory-driven triaged real-time adherence monitoring intervention to promote HIV medication adherence in young AAMSM.MethodsWe performed five focus groups and two individual interviews among young HIV-positive AAMSM (n = 25) in Chicago guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and explored perceptions regarding the monitoring concept including device issues and concerns about inclusion of support persons whose involvement is triggered by sustained missed doses. The purpose was to inform the development of this intervention in this population.ResultsGenerally, the participants found the proposed intervention acceptable and useful. Privacy was a major concern for participants especially with attention to possible disclosure of their HIV status by receiving a medication-related text that someone else might view and could lead to unwanted attention. There was concern that the device could be confused with a taser. Approximately half of the men already had a close personal contact that helped them with medication taking. Some participants acknowledged that the notification might lead to friction.ConclusionsA triaged real-time alert intervention to improve treatment adherence is acceptable and feasible among young AAMSM living with HIV.

HIV Anxiety Reduction/Management Program (HAMRT): pilot randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTResearch has indicated that mental health disorders, particularly anxiety, predicts poorer antiretroviral medication adherence among persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The present study tests a novel six-session Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-based integrated treatment/management program for PLWHA with concurrent anxiety delivered in community health clinics Houston, Texas. Twenty-Seven PLWHA (Mage = 48.5, SD = 8.9, 44.4% female) were recruited for a proof-of-concept study and randomized to either an active treatment condition, or a waitlist control condition of equal length. Participants were assessed pre-randomization, at the mid-treatment time point (after three sessions for the active participants and three weeks for the control participants) and post-treatment (six sessions for active participants, six weeks for control participants). Data were examined used Bayesian multilevel models. Results indicated a reliable (99.87% posterior probability of a moderating effect) interaction between active and control groups for depressive symptoms and reliable (99.65% probability) interaction for anxiety symptoms. Results indicated an unreliable interaction for combined antiretroviral therapy adherence. These findings are discussed in terms of the feasibility and potential utility of administering an anxiety-reduction therapy program designed for PLWHA with HIV medication adherence difficulties.

Self-Disclosure of HIV Status Among Youth Living with HIV: A Global Systematic Review.

Self-disclosure of HIV serostatus by youth has been considered an essential component of HIV prevention and medication adherence efforts. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation of disclosure goals, processes, and outcomes is warranted. We conducted a global systematic review in accordance with the 2015 Preferred Items for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis tool to assess HIV self-disclosure among youth ages 13-24. We identified 5881 articles during our initial search. After screening titles and abstracts and examining articles in greater detail, 33 studies (35 articles) were included in the synthesis. The disclosure process model was used to highlight antecedent goals to self-disclosure including common avoidance goals such as fear of rejection and isolation. While disclosure was associated with negative and positive emotional outcomes and improved medication adherence, there remain concerns regarding the impact of self-disclosure on sexual behaviors. Implications for practice and future directions for research are presented.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018097250.

Positive religious coping predicts self-reported HIV medication adherence at baseline and twelve-month follow-up among Black Americans living with HIV in the Southeastern United States

ABSTRACTThis paper presents the results of secondary data analyses investigating the influence of religious coping on HIV medication adherence across time among 167 Black Americans living with HIV (BALWH) in the Southeastern United States. Participants were recruited from a large urban clinic in Atlanta, GA and completed questionnaires about their religious coping at baseline assessment and about their medication adherence at baseline and 12-month follow-up assessment. Descriptive analyses and multiple linear regression were used to determine the association between religious coping and HIV medication adherence. Findings indicated that after controlling for age and depressive symptoms at baseline, positive religious coping significantly predicted medication adherence at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Negative religious coping was inversely associated with medication adherence at baseline after controlling for age and depressive symptoms but not at 12-month follow-up. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention work related to medication adherence among BALWH are discussed.

Factors associated with HIV medication adherence in HIV-positive women enrolled in Option B+ in Zambia: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Background Every year about 1·4 million women living with HIV become pregnant, and these pregnancies lead to about 220 000 new HIV infections in infants and children. Furthermore, it is estimated that, worldwide, the cumulative total deaths caused by HIV will reach 75 million by 2030. In an effort to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, WHO has recommended Option B+, which gives HIV-positive pregnant women life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART), regardless of their CD4 cell count and viral load. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors associated with HIV medication adherence in HIV-positive women enrolled in Option B+ in Zambia. Methods We recruited pregnant and breastfeeding HIV-positive women enrolled in Option B+ and residing in Lusaka (urban) and Sinazongwe (rural) districts of Zambia. Data were collected using a 122-item structured questionnaire prepared in English and then translated into two local languages (Nyanja and Tonga), which are commonly spoken in the Lusaka and Sinazongwe Districts. We used descriptive statistics to characterise ART adherence in the entire sample and by district. Four generalised modified-Poisson regression models were built using a step-wise approach to assess the association between the factors (age, education, marital status, occupation, income, counselling on side-effects, HIV transmission knowledge, and timing of first prenatal visit during pregnancy) and ART adherence. Findings We included data from 150 participants, 81 (54%) from Lusaka district and 69 (46%) from Sinazongwe district. Mean age was 29 years (SD 6·2). Data were collected between July and September, 2017. A total of 119 respondents (79%) had counselling on the side-effects of ART: 72 (89%) in Lusaka district and 47 (68%) in Sinazongwe district. 36 women (24%) sought a prenatal visit in the first trimester of pregnancy, 93 (62%) in second trimester, and 16 (11%) in the third trimester; five (3%) did not know in which trimester they had first visited the antenatal clinic for care. In all, 37·8% of respondents missed taking their ART at least once in the week before data collection. There was an association between adherence and district of residence (p Interpretation Counselling women on the side-effects of ART before commencing treatment could help promote adherence. Furthermore, encouraging women living with HIV to seek prenatal care early during pregnancy could offer them the opportunity to be educated on the importance of the ART and the need to adhere to treatment. Funding None.

Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy of a Theory-Based Relational Embodied Conversational Agent Mobile Phone Intervention to Promote HIV Medication Adherence in Young HIV-Positive African American MSM.

An embodied conversational agent can serve as a relational agent and provide information, motivation, and behavioral skills. To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of My Personal Health Guide, a theory-based mobile-delivered embodied conversational agent intervention to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy in young African American men who have sex with men, we conducted this prospective pilot study using a 3-month pre-post design. Outcome measures included adherence, acceptability, feasibility, pre versus post health literacy, and pre versus post self-efficacy. There were 43 participants. Pill count adherence > 80% improved from 62% at baseline to 88% at follow-up (p = .05). The acceptability of the app was high. Feasibility issues identified included loss of usage data from unplanned participant app deletion. Health literacy improved whereas self-efficacy was high at baseline and follow-up. This pilot study of My Personal Health Guide demonstrated acceptability and preliminary efficacy in improving adherence in this important population.

The HIV SEERs Project: A Qualitative Analysis of Program Facilitators’ Experience

HIV-related stigma creates barriers to HIV testing, medication adherence, and retention in care. Guided by the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and in collaboration with community health workers (CHWs), the Stigma-reduction through Education, Empowerment, and Research (SEERs) project was developed with and for youth living in Nakuru, Kenya to reduce HIV-related stigma. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of the CHWs serving as SEERs facilitators. To evaluate SEERs, 37 facilitators completed open-ended survey questions to gather their experiences and recommendations for future program implementation and sustainability. Participants’ mean age was 30.58 (standard deviation = 9.62), ranging from ages 18 to 53. Thematic content analysis was used to categorize (a) facilitators’ experiences and the community impact of the SEERs project, (b) lessons learned, and (c) challenges to sustainability. Recommendations will be used to modify the SEERs project, improve implementation and sustainability strategies, and may provide guidance for similar CBPR projects.

Testing the Feasibility of Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Collect Real-Time Behavior and Mood to Predict Technology-Measured HIV Medication Adherence.

Identifying distinct patterns of behavior and mood in natural environments that interrupt medication adherence among individuals with HIV will be useful in informing intervention development. This pilot study assessed the initial efficacy of using ecologic momentary assessment to define patterns of alcohol use, mood, and medication adherence. Participants reported intraday alcohol use and mood using app-enabled smartphones and MEMSCap pill bottles to measure medication adherence. There were 34 enrolled participants, 29 of whom completed the 28-day study. Participants drank a mean of 7.75days of the study period. The positive and negative affect scores ranged from 10 to 50, with a mean of 25.7 and 11.4 for each, respectively. The average medication adherence for the sample was 94.1%. These findings suggest these types of data collection methods are increasingly acceptable in measuring real-time mood and behavior, which may better inform interventions addressed at increasing HIV adherence practices.

Neighborhood social cohesion and viral suppression after HIV diagnosis.

Social cohesion has varying effects on health. We investigated the association of perceived neighborhood social cohesion with HIV viral suppression using individual-level data from the New York City HIV registry and surveillance-based interviews (n = 92). Suppression was achieved within 12 months of HIV diagnosis by 60 percent of persons perceiving low cohesion and 71 percent of those perceiving high (p = 0.31). Controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics and neighborhood poverty, per proportional hazards regression, cohesion was not associated with suppression (adjusted hazards ratio (95% confidence interval) for high versus low cohesion: 0.79 (0.49-1.28)). Cohesion may have heterogeneous effects on HIV medication adherence.

Associations between perceived barriers and benefits of using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and medication adherence among men who have sex with men in Western China

BackgroundTo investigate the associations between the perceived barriers and benefits of using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis medication, including worries about the side effects, disliking taking drugs, perceived burden of taking medication, positive expectations as to the efficacy of the drugs, favourable doctor-patient relationships, and medication adherence among men who have sex with men (MSM) to provide a target for improving medication adherence and reducing HIV infection among MSM.MethodsMSM were recruited in western China from April 2013 to October 2014, administered oral tenofovir (TDF) daily and followed up every 12 weeks for 2 years. At each follow-up, the medication rate was calculated based on the self-reported number of missed doses over 2 weeks, and then, the medication adherence was evaluated. The barriers and benefits perceived during medication were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire, and their effects on medication adherence were analysed by linear mixed models.ResultsA total of 411 participants were enrolled in this study, and 1561 follow-up observation points were obtained. The average medication rate was 0.62 ± 0.37, and the medication rate increased with longer follow-up (P < 0.05). The medication rate was higher among MSM who were divorced (compared to those who were unmarried, P < 0.0001). MSM with more positive expectations as to the efficacy of the drugs showed higher rates of medication (P < 0.0001), while those who were more worried about side effects had a lower medication rate (P = 0.0208). In contrast, the dislike of taking the drugs and the burden perceived during medication had no effects on the actual medication rate of taking TDF (P > 0.05).ConclusionHow to obtain and maintain high medication adherence among MSM is the key to the PrEP intervention strategy for effective reduction of HIV infection. For MSM in China, we should deepen their understanding of the effectiveness and safety of PrEP and increase their confidence in PrEP, thereby improving their medication adherence.Trial registrationChiCTR-TRC-13003849. Registered on 24/06/2013.