Mopati: A Pilot Hiv Treatment Partner Intervention In Botswana

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: HIV

Interventions: Behavioral: Mopati

Registration Number: NCT04796610

Lead Sponsor: RAND

Brief Summary: This study is a pilot test of the Mopati program ("partner" in Setswana), which is a multi-level intervention that guides healthcare providers and patients about treatment partner selection, and trains treatment partners on provision of effective support. The Specific Aims are: (1) To develop a multi-level treatment partner intervention with input from community and healthcare provider stakeholders in Botswana; and (2) To conduct a pilot test of the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects on viral suppression.

Detailed Description: This study will train health care providers to guide unsuppressed HIV positive patients in the selection of a treatment partner. All health care providers at the intervention clinic (e.g., physicians, nurses, peer counselors) will be educated about effective characteristics of treatment partners, and provided with standard guidance about treatment partner selection to deliver to all patients initiating ART or who are not suppressed (however, for increased impact, the investigators will test the intervention only among those not suppressed). The standard guidance will incorporate Motivational Interviewing (MI) strategies, to acknowledge patients' difficulties and offer advice without trying to force the patient to select a treatment partner of a particular type.

The intervention clinic will sponsor group sessions for treatment partners of unsuppressed patients, to educate treatment partners about HIV treatment, and train treatment partners on counseling skills to convey acceptance of and compassion, and to be non-judgmental and non-confrontational. The investigators will train treatment partners in core MI skills of open questions and reflective listening, to avoid confrontations and support patients in developing motivation for adherence. In the training, the investigators will use experiential learning methods to help partners to understand that confronting their partners about poor adherence, while born out of love and concern for patients' health, is ineffective. The investigators do not intend for treatment partners to be proficient in all MI counseling strategies, but the investigators will train treatment partners to use the two core MI skills. Patients and their treatment partners will be asked to attend at least 3 sessions over the 3-month intervention period. The investigators will survey patients and treatment partners at baseline and 3-months post-baseline and collect viral load from clinic records. Intervention feasibility and acceptability will be assessed via mixed methods (e.g., semi- structured interviews with patients, treatment partners, and clinic staff; refusal rates).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 105

Inclusion Criteria

Patients will be eligible if they are: 1) 18 years of age or older, 2) On antiretroviral treatment for HIV (ART) and initiated ART at least 6 months prior, and 3 ) Not virally suppressed (one viral load ≥ 400 cp/ml within prior 12 months at time of enrollment).
Treatment partners will be eligible if they are 18 years of age or older and selected to be a patient's treatment partner.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will not be eligible if they screen positive for HIV-related dementia or if they show ART resistance.

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intervention treatment partners	Mopati	Unsuppressed HIV patients at the intervention clinic will receive guidance from their health care provider on the selection of a treatment partner. The treatment partner will receive education on HIV treatment and how treatment partners can support patients in treatment adherence.
Intervention patients	Mopati	Unsuppressed HIV patients at the intervention clinic will receive guidance from their health care provider on the selection of a treatment partner. The patient will receive education on HIV treatment and how treatment partners can support patients in treatment adherence.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Viral Suppression of Patient Participants	6 months	Viral suppression will be defined as viral load \< 400 cp/ml

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived Treatment Partner Support	3-months post-baseline	Continuous scores on Nondirective Support scale (0-5); higher = more nondirective support, rated by patient participants
Number of Patient Participants Self-Reported as Treatment Adherent	3-months post-baseline	Participants self-reported the percentage of doses taken in the past month; we defined treatment adherence as having taken at least 95% of prescribed doses