Abstract:

Objective: Though the use of mobile in the African continent is continuously growing, there are limited evidence on its use and effect on patients on ART. This study assessed the impact of mobile phone technology on adherence and quality of life among HIV/AIDS patients on ART.

Methodology and Design: Between October 2016 and July 2017, we conducted a randomized controlled intervention at Lethlakane Primary Hospital in rural Botswana with 298 patients equally distributed in the intervention and control arm.

Over a period of 24 weeks, we sent weekly SMS to PLHIV on ART and responses were expected within 48h. Messages and scheduled measurements were provided in English and Setswana, according to the participant’s preference.

Results: In intention-to-treat analysis, participants of the intervention arm received weekly SMS and maintained at least 90% of adherence to ART and similar achievement was also recorded in the control arm; However, SMS intervention was significantly associated to improvements in quality of life in the intervention arm (95% of patients) compared to the control arm with only 25% improving their QoL. (p 0.003).

Conclusion: Mobile technology offers a great opportunity to improve accessibility to services and a platform for interaction with patients. Further researches should be conducted to understand how best mobile technology could be used in a cost-effective manner and for better efficiency.

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