eHealth Interventions for Early Infant Diagnosis: Mothers' Satisfaction with the HIV Infant Tracking System in Kenya.

Creator(s)

Melinda Brown
Catherine Wexler
Brad Gautney
Kathy Goggin, Children's Mercy HospitalFollow
Emily A. Hurley, Children's Mercy HospitalFollow
Beryne Odeny
May Maloba
Raphael Lwembe
Matthew Sandbulte
Sarah Finocchario-Kessler

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2019

Identifier

DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02579-5

Abstract

The HIV Infant Tracking System (HITSystem) is an eHealth intervention to improve early infant diagnosis (EID) through alerts to providers and text messages to mothers. This study explored mothers' experiences receiving standard and HITSystem-enhanced EID services to assess perceived intervention benefits, acceptability, and opportunities for improvement. This qualitative study was embedded within a cluster-randomized control trial to evaluate the HITSystem at six Kenyan government hospitals (3 intervention, 3 control). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 137 mothers attending EID follow-up visits. Compared to control sites, participants at HITSystem sites described enhanced EID quality; HITSystem-generated texts informed them of result availability and retesting needs, provided cues-to-action for clinic attendance, and engendered opportunities for patient support. They described improved EID efficiency through shorter waiting periods for results and fewer hospital visits. Participants reported high satisfaction with EID and acceptability of text messages; however, modifications to ensure text delivery, increase repeat testing reminders, include low literacy content options, and provide encouraging messages were suggested. These user experience data suggest improvements in EID at HITSystem sites when compared with control sites.

Journal Title

AIDS and behavior

Volume

23

Issue

11

First Page

3093

Last Page

3102

MeSH Keywords

Adult; Cell Phone; Early Diagnosis; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Interviews as Topic; Kenya; Male; Mothers; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Personal Satisfaction; Qualitative Research; Telemedicine; Text Messaging

Keywords

Acceptability; Early infant diagnosis (EID); HITSystem; HIV; eHealth.

Comments

Grant support

• R01 HD076673/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States
• R01HD076673/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Recommended Citation

Brown M, Wexler C, Gautney B, et al. eHealth Interventions for Early Infant Diagnosis: Mothers' Satisfaction with the HIV Infant Tracking System in Kenya. AIDS Behav. 2019;23(11):3093-3102. doi:10.1007/s10461-019-02579-5