The goal of this study is to identify ways for implementing small prizes allocated by a drawing to improve adherence to antiretroviral medication in an HIV clinic in Kampala, Uganda. The study is called Rewarding Adherence Program (RAP).
The proposed 3-year study will develop and test RAP for incentivizing ART clients to remain engaged in care and highly adherent to their medication. Phase 1 of the project will consist of focus groups with patients, clinic providers and directors, and community leaders and will elicit information on barriers and facilitators of long-term retention and adherence maintenance, how to best implement the intervention to ensure acceptability and feasibility, and perceptions of the transportability of the planned intervention. Parameters of the intervention that will be probed include the frequency, type, and value of the prizes, and award presentation. Phase 2 will build on Phase 1 to develop and pilot test the RAP in a 20 months long randomized controlled trial (RCT) among clients who have been on ART for at least 2 years and have problems with missed clinic appointments or ART doses. Primary assessments will be administered at screening and months 4, 8, 14 and 20. In Phase 3 some adjustments to the intervention will be made after reviewing Phase 2 data, if needed, and then the intervention will be administered to the control group for 6 months to assess effects on adherence in this group (the original intervention group will not participate in this phase). Finally, the investigators will conduct focus groups with providers, implementers, and study participants to learn about implementation difficulties and areas for future improvement. Study findings will directly inform the design parameters of a larger, more rigorous evaluation in an R01 application that will focus on the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of the intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
157
Clients coming for clinic visits have their MEMS data extracted, and if they show 95% adherence or higher are eligible to draw a number (1-6) out of a closed bag without looking; if they draw a '6' they win a small prize.
Clients coming for clinic visits have their patient booklet checked to confirm that they came on their scheduled day; if so, they are eligible to draw a number (1-6) out of a closed bag without looking; if they draw a '6' they win a small prize.
Mildmay Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) cap measured adherence
Change in adherence over the course of the study
Time frame: 20 months
Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) cap measured adherence
Change in adherence over the first nine months of the study as an interim outcome
Time frame: 9 months
Timely clinic visits
Number of timely clinic visits as a fraction of all scheduled clinic visits over the course of the study
Time frame: 20 months
Self-reported adherence
Adherence level as reported by the patient at month 20
Time frame: 20 months
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