| Popis: |
BACKGROUND The Positive Peers mobile application (PPA) is a multi-function HIV support tool designed to improve HIV related clinical outcomes for young people with HIV (YPWH). This pilot study included testing the effectiveness of the app among a single clinic patient population. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the effects of PPA use on HIV clinical outcomes. METHODS PPA users were compared to study eligible non-users receiving care at the same clinic during the study period (n = 259). All study participants were between the ages of 13 and 34, diagnosed with HIV, and either returning to care after an absence, or diagnosed within 12 months prior to study enrollment. Participant demographics and HIV care variables were extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). The PPA user group (n = 114) consented to download the app which provided natively tracked application usage data. RESULTS Analysis showed that younger PPA users (13-24) were more likely to achieve sustained viral suppression than non-users (AOR 4.2, 1.2-13.9). CONCLUSIONS The Positive Peers mobile application appears to help younger users sustain HIV suppression. The freely available Positive Peers mobile application could be a helpful tool for achieving Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) goals. CLINICALTRIAL N/A |
