Spurring Innovation to Promote HIV Testing: An RCT Evaluating Crowdsourcing

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill721 enrolled

Overview

Crowdsourcing may be a powerful tool to spur the development of innovative videos to promote HIV testing among key populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) individuals. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the effect of a crowdsourced video and a conventional video on first-time HIV testing among MSM and TG in China. The crowdsourced video was developed using an open contest, formal transparent judging, and an incentive of marketing promotion. The hypothesis is that a crowdsourced video will be equivalent (within a margin of 3%) to a conventional video in terms of self-reported first-time HIV testing within 3-4 weeks of watching the video.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SCREENING

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Enrollment

721

Conditions

HIV

Interventions

Crowdsourced VideoBEHAVIORAL

Participants will watch a one minute video whose purpose is to increase HIV testing uptake. This video was the winner in a crowdsourced video contest hosted in China. CBOs all submitted their own independently designed and funded videos.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 16 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Born biologically male or identify as transgender * 16 years or older * Lifetime anal sex with another man * Providing informed consent and active mobile phone number Exclusion Criteria: * HIV-infected * HIV-tested ever in the past

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

First-Time HIV Testing

All individuals enrolled in the study will receive a cell phone text message three weeks later asking if they have received an HIV test. Among those individuals who do not respond to the text message, another text will be sent at four weeks after the video. We anticipate the median duration of follow-up to be approximately 3.5 weeks following the video intervention.

Time frame: Up to 4 weeks following the video intervention

Secondary Outcomes

Likelihood of HIV Testing

All individuals will be asked how likely they are to test for HIV soon immediately before and after watching the videos (during enrollment). Likelihood of HIV testing will be measured on a 4-point numerical Likert scale rating scale. 0 will be "very unlikely", 1 will be "unlikely", 2 will be likely, and 3 will be very likely. The percentage of individuals who report increased likelihood of HIV testing will be reported.

Time frame: Up to one day

Cost-effectiveness of Developing HIV Testing Promotional Videos

Cost-effectiveness of developing the crowdsourced video compared to the conventional video

Time frame: Up to one year