Drive to Zero
About the Study
Achieving early and sustained viral suppression (VS) following HIV diagnosis is critical to improving outcomes for persons with HIV (PWH) and reducing transmission. The Deep South of the United States (US), a region disproportionately impacted by the domestic HIV epidemic, has the highest HIV incidence and the lowest rates of VS nationally. Previous work has shown that while time to VS has improved overall in Southern states over the past ten years (including Alabama (AL), Louisiana (LA), and Mississippi (MS)) many individuals still do not reach VS within six months of diagnosis. Understanding the potential drivers of varying time to VS within the Deep South is essential to inform individual and population health approaches to achieve rapid and sustained VS within this region.
Contribution of Research
While previous research illustrated trends among newly-diagnosed PWH, this proposed research aims to illuminate correlates of non-sustained VS among PWH who have already established, and, in some cases, subsequently disengaged from care. We will leverage our evidence-based mobile health (mHealth) app, WiseApp, successfully used to improve self-managed health and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence in low-income, racial and ethnic minority PWH in NYC, to recruit, screen, enroll, and retain this digital cohort of PWH. Listed below are the specific aims of this study:
Specific Aims
- Aim 1. Informed by community feedback, refine the WiseApp mHealth app to include key elements that optimally recruit, screen, enroll, and retain a cohort of PWH with VS challenges in AL, LA, and MS. (n= 45)
- Aim 2. Enroll and retain a geographically-diverse cohort of PWH 18 years to participate in the digital cohort. (n= 1000)
- Aim 3. Evaluate predictors, mediators, and moderators for non-VS among PWH in the Deep South. (n= 45)
- All study aims will be completed remotely.
Community Advisory Board (CAB)
CAB members will meet the following criteria to participate:
- Aged at least 18-years old
- Self-identify as living with HIV, personnel of the Health Departments of AL, LA, MS, or are employed in an HIV healthcare setting with regular interaction with PWH.
- Speak English
Informaticians
Informaticians will meet the following criteria to participate:
- Aged at least 18-years old
- Possess training in human-computer interaction
- Hold at least a master’s degree
- Have published in the field of informatics
- Speak English
End-users
End-user participants will meet the following criteria to participate.
- Aged at least 18-years old
- Self-identify as living with HIV
- Have not participated in the study CAB and/or previous study activities