A randomized trial of 'fresh start' text messaging to improve return to care in people with HIV who missed appointments in South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Treatment interruptions are a barrier to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). 'Fresh start messages', which leverage significant days on the calendar (e.g., new year, public holiday) in order to prompt action, have the potential to encourage people with HIV (PWH) to return to care. We evaluated a 'fresh start' intervention (text messages) to increase return to care in PWH who had missed their last appointment.

Design

A three arm 1 : 1:1 individual randomised controlled trial.

Methods

We randomized adults in Capricorn District who had missed ART appointments by >28 days to: no text message; unframed messages (fresh start not mentioned); or framed messages (fresh start mentioned). Randomization was stratified by treatment interruption duration and across t

SUBMITTER: Njuguna C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11239091 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature