1273. Implementation of a Mobile Phone Intervention Method to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Patients with HIV


 
 
 Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence decreases morbidity and mortality; however, this is often complicated by various external factors. Strategies implementing cellular technology have demonstrated improved medication adherence. The objective of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of utilizing weekly mobile phone calls or text messages to improve clinical outcomes among patients with HIV.
 
 
 
 This study was conducted at an infectious disease clinic at an academic medical center 2019-21. Twenty-two patients were selected based on a history of poor ART adherence. For a period of 6 months, patients were contacted weekly by text message or phone call to determine medication adherence and to encourage continued adherence. Outcomes during the 12-month intervention period (6m intervention and subsequent 6m) were compared to the 12-month pre-intervention period and included viral load, CD4 count, clinic visits, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and new-onset opportunistic infections (OI). Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar’s test were performed, though study is not powered for true analysis.
 
 
 
 Twenty-two patients were selected for inclusion and 13 (55%) maintained persistent communication throughout the intervention. For all 22 enrolled participants, this intervention resulted in increased mean yearly clinic visits (2.6 vs 3.8), decreased median viral load (32,979 vs 852 copies/mL, p=0.017), and increased median CD4 (142.5 vs 249 cells/uL). This also led to a decrease in patients with > 1 ED visit (54.6% vs 36.4%), > 1 inpatient hospitalization (36.4% vs 13.6%), and diagnosis of an OI (18.2% vs 13.6%). These outcomes were most remarkable in the 13 patients who maintained scheduled communication [mean yearly clinic visits (2.9 vs 5.2), median viral load (27,633 vs 118 copies/mL, p=0.0248), median CD4 cells/uL (76 vs 253), > 1 ED visit (61.5% vs 30.8%), > 1 inpatient hospitalization (38.5% vs 23.1%), and new OI (23.1% vs 7.7%)].
 Impact of Intensifying Outpatient HIV Management
 Clinical outcomes for the pre-intervention year (routine communication) and the intervention year (enhanced communication) for all 22 patients initially selected for the study are compared to outcomes for the 13 patients who maintained persistent communication throughout the intervention period.
 
 
 
 Enhanced communication through weekly mobile phone reminders may serve as a useful tool in the outpatient setting to improve ART adherence and reduce morbidity among adults with HIV. The findings of this small pilot study provide support for the need of a larger study to prove the benefit of this care model.
 
 
 
 All Authors: No reported disclosures.
