Piloting the Incentivized Text-Based Adherence Game Intervention.
Piloting a Mobile Adherence Game With Economic Incentives for Young People With HIV in Ghana
Providence College
20 participants
May 16, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This project will develop and test a novel intervention to improve HIV treatment adherence among young adults with HIV who attend an HIV clinic in Kumasi, Ghana. The intervention is called incentivized Text-Based Adherence Game (iTAG). It is delivered solely via text messages and includes many advanced features including a point system that rewards participants for responding to texts, a scoreboard that compares participants' progress with each other, and messages on a range of health and HIV-related topics. To evaluate iTAG, we will recruit 20 young people, ages 18-24, with HIV (YPWH) to complete 90 days worth of intervention text messages. Before and after receiving iTAG messages, they will complete computer assessments used to measure HIV medication adherence as well as other factors believed to be influence adherence such as social support. By examining participants score from before and after receiving the intervention, and by talking with participants after they receive the intervention, we hope to understand whether iTAG is acceptable to YPWH and could potential lead to improvements in their HIV treatment adherence.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria7
- Between ages 18-24
- In treatment for HIV at our recruitment site
- Read English and speak English or a language spoken by clinic staff
- On ART medication
- Own a mobile phone
- Evidence of recent ART non-adherence
- Evidence of a detectable viral load in the past 3 months
Exclusion Criteria2
- Physically or cognitively impaired
- Participation in another ART adherence intervention
Interventions
Participants in this intervention start by receiving a brief (15 minute) in-person standard-of-care counseling session focused on increasing their knowledge of HIV treatment adherence and strategies to improve adherence. Following this session, they will then receive daily or less frequent text messages (SMS) over the course of three months. Messages are primary two-way, automated, and have preprogrammed response options. Message content includes HIV medication reminders, motivational messages, information on topics relevant to HIV treatment (e.g., HIV disclosure) in the form of quizzes, opportunities to reach out for support from clinic staff or peer mentors, and game-based messages including story messages, a weekly scoreboard, point system progress, and peer interactions.
Locations(1)
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NCT07115498