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

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

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3093-3102
Number of pages10
JournalAIDS and Behavior
Volume23
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2019

Keywords

  • Acceptability
  • Early infant diagnosis (EID)
  • HITSystem
  • HIV
  • eHealth

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'eHealth Interventions for Early Infant Diagnosis: Mothers’ Satisfaction with the HIV Infant Tracking System in Kenya'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this