Study: mHealth keeps HIV patients engaged in treatment

A study in Mobile Media & Communication found mHealth interventions can help treat vulnerable HIV populations.

Archana Kishnan, PhD, a communications researcher at University at Albany-State University of New York led the study, with coauthor Claire Cravero, a senior field manager with Boston-based mobile solutions provider Dimagi.

The pair studied whether mHealth services like dosing reminders, data collection and provider communication would improve care for underserved HIV patients. The literature review included research that took place in Latin America, southeast Asia and the United States, among other regions.

The researchers concluded text message communication between providers and patients was particularly effective in ensuring patients kept medical appointments — particularly for patients in regions like Africa, India and South America — to compensate for limited resources.

For a successful mHealth intervention, the researchers suggested assessing the accessibility of communication tools, conducting usability tests and integrating mHealth into existing care trials.

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