Telephone Support to Improve Adherence to Anti-HIV Medications

This study tested a system of nursing telephone support to determine if it improves adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in at-risk, treatment-experienced people.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is only successful in treating HIV when people take all the medications prescribed to them when and how they are instructed. However, a third or more of patients on ART are not able to adhere to their medication regimens. Therefore, making sure that these patients stay healthy involves making sure they are motivated and informed about the importance of adhering to their ART. Nurses can deliver interventions to motivate and inform patients through regularly scheduled phone calls. These calls allow nurses to check in between clinic visits, are convenient to patients, and are cost efficient. This study tested an enhanced telephone support intervention provided by nurses that aimed to improve ART adherence and treatment outcomes. Follow-up for this study lasted 72 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either care as usual or the enhanced telephone support intervention plus care as usual. The telephone support intervention involved phone calls made weekly for the first 8 weeks of the study and then every 2 weeks for the next 40 weeks. Nurses made these calls at a time and place participants chose. During the calls, nurses provided information, motivational enhancement, and problem-solving skills. Study assessments took place at study entry and after 12, 24, 48, and 72 weeks. Assessments measured CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, adherence, and illness events. Adherence was measured through questionnaires and an electronic pill cap. This study was closed early to both accrual and follow-up due to low recruitment. The study aimed to enroll 296 participants. The actual study accrual at the time of early closing was 59 participants.