The Treatment Ambassador Program: A Highly Acceptable and Feasible Community-Based Peer Intervention for South Africans Living with HIV Who Delay or Discontinue Antiretroviral Therapy.

ABSTRACT: We conducted a novel pilot randomized controlled trial of the Treatment Ambassador Program (TAP), an 8-session, peer-based, behavioral intervention for people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa not on antiretroviral therapy (ART). PWH (43 intervention, 41 controls) completed baseline, 3- and 6-month assessments. TAP was highly feasible (90% completion), with peer counselors demonstrating good intervention fidelity. Post-intervention interviews showed high acceptability of TAP and counselors, who supported autonomy, assisted with clinical navigation, and provided psychosocial support. Intention-to-treat analyses indicated increased ART initiation by 3 months in the intervention vs. control arm (12.2% [5/41] vs. 2.3% [1/43], Fisher exact p-value = 0.105; Cohen's h = 0.41). Among those previously

SUBMITTER: Katz IT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7979476 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature