A Systematic Review by The Cochrane Library reveals that individuals with HIV are more likely to take their medication every day if they receive weekly text message reminders via their mobile phone.
Text messaging is becoming an increasingly popular method of delivering support in health care – increasing contact between patients and health care providers and helps promote attendance at clinics and hospitals.
According to the researchers, there is some evidence indicating that text messaging helps individuals suffering with tuberculosis take their daily medication. They reveal that this method could also help millions of HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adhere to to their treatment regimen.
Even though ART can help individuals with HIV liver longer and feel better, adverse effects from the medication can make sticking to the daily regime difficult for some patients. When patients miss their daily doses, the medication may stop being effective and lead to death.
The researchers examined data from two trials conducted in Kenya containing a total of 966 adults with HIV.
In the first trial, participants received weekly text messages asking “Mambo?”, meaning “How are you?”, and were asked to respond with 2 days, while participants in the control group received standard care.
In the second trial, the researchers sent participants either long or short text messages daily or once a week. The short message read “This is your reminder” and the long message read “This is your reminder. Be strong and courageous. We care about you.” Although participants in the control group of this trial received mobile phones, they received no communication related to the study.
The researchers found that participants who received text messages once per week were better at sticking to their medication regimen compared to participants in control groups.
One year after the first trial began, the team discovered that the number of participants who took at least 95% of their medication doses was higher than participants in the control group, and that those who received text messages had lower levels of HIV in their blood.
Almost one year after the second study was conducted, they found that although the number of participants receiving short or long messages weekly, who took at least 90% of their medication doses, was higher than participants in the control group, daily text messages, either short or long, had no impact on medication adherence.
Even though results of the second study were not statistically significant, they researchers found that combined, results from both studies indicated that participants who received any length text messages on a weekly basis were better at sticking to their medication regimens than participants in the control groups.
Lead author Tara Horvath of Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, U.S., explained:
“There is high-quality evidence for the benefit of sending weekly text messages to promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Clinics and hospitals should consider using weekly text messaging as a way to ensure HIV patients stick to their antiretroviral therapy regimens.
The researchers state that text messaging can make a considerable impact on the HIV epidemic, particularly as HIV is significantly less likely to be transmitted to sexual partners in individuals who take their daily medication doses.
Horvath, said:
“With the expansion of mobile phone networks worldwide, particularly in regions that are new to these technologies, text messaging interventions for HIV are rapidly becoming more feasible. It is important that these trials took place in a low-income country, because most people with HIV live in the low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
However, we also need to find out whether the effects are replicated in higher income countries. Also, because these trials included only adult patients, it is important to learn whether text messaging will help adolescents on ART, as well as people who care for younger children on these regimens.”
Written By Grace Rattue