A Telemedicine and mHealth Intervention for Reducing Alcohol Consumption Among People Living With HIV/AIDS
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Sponsor
- Carolyn Lauckner
- Enrollment
- 50
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in Daily Alcohol Consumption
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
While advances in medication have led to greatly improved outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS, less than one-third of all people living with the disease are adherent enough to their medication to achieve viral suppression. Alcohol consumption has been shown to have a significant effect on HIV medication adherence, so the proposed research will aim to reduce alcohol use among people living with HIV/AIDS through a technology-driven intervention. This eight-session intervention will be delivered using a combination of videoconferencing, smart phones, and Bluetooth-enabled breathalyzers for monitoring of alcohol consumption, with an overall goal of reducing alcohol use, mitigating adherence issues, and achieving optimal prevention and treatment responses for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Detailed Description
The TRAC intervention focuses on increasing motivation and building skills for avoiding triggers and managing situations that encourage drinking. It requires eight 30-minute sessions with a counselor using videoconferencing and mobile phones. In addition to receiving the eight sessions of intervention content, participants will complete smartphone-based self-monitoring of medication adherence and alcohol consumption, which will be discussed during intervention sessions. Each day, they will be texted at two random times to complete a breathalyzer reading using a BACtrack Mobile Pro, which is sold by a company with FDA clearance and utilizes law enforcement-grade sensors for determining blood alcohol level. It connects wirelessly to phones via Bluetooth, automatically uploads readings, allows the user to view their current and past readings with a mobile app, and allows them to share their readings with counselors. At the time of the breathalyzer reading, participants will also be asked to indicate via survey how many drinks they have consumed and their medication use for the day. The surveys will be programmed using Qualtrics and accessible via a link in the reminder text message. Data analytic methods will be focused on examining effects on alcohol intake, HAART adherence, and HIV-related medical outcomes (CD4 count and viral load).If shown to be feasible, acceptable, and potentially efficacious, this intervention could have a significant impact on improving the accessibility of alcohol reduction counseling among PLWHA.
Investigators
Carolyn Lauckner
Assistant Professor
University of Kentucky
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •HIV-positive
- •18 years or older
- •At-risk drinker
- •Currently prescribed HIV medication
- •Current patient at the study recruitment site(s)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Less than 18 years old
- •Non-English Speaking
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in Daily Alcohol Consumption
Time Frame: Baseline (T1), Immediate follow-up at 8 weeks (T2)
Single item asking how many days in the past month participants consumed alcohol. Responses range from 0-31. Change= Days reported at 8 weeks - Days reported at baseline
Average Percent Change in Positive Breathalyzer Readings
Time Frame: Week 1 and Week 8 of the active intervention period
Participants completed up to 14 breathalyzer readings/week obtained by BACTrack mobile breathalyzer. This outcome compares average % of positive breathalyzer readings (breathalyzer values \> 0.00) per participant at Week 1 to Week 8. Numbers should be converted to percentages to aid in interpretation (e.g., -0.10 corresponds to a 10% decrease).
Change in Problematic Alcohol Use
Time Frame: Baseline, 8-week post-test
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C (AUDIT-C): A validated, self-report instrument assessing problematic alcohol use. For this 3-item scale, scores range from 0-12. Higher values represent greater problematic alcohol use. Change= Week 8 score - Baseline score
Secondary Outcomes
- Percent Change in HIV/AIDS Medication Adherence(Baseline, 8-week post-test)
- Change in CD4 Count(Baseline, 8-week post-test, 16-week follow-up)
- Percent Change in Daily HIV/AIDS Medication Adherence(Week 1 and Week 8 of the active intervention period)
- Change in Viral Load(Baseline, 8-week post-test, 16-week follow-up)