Development and Usability of a Smartphone Application for Tracking Antiretroviral Medication Refill Data for Human Immunodeficiency Virus

• Published in: Methods of information in medicine Vol. 56; no. 5; p. 351
• Main Authors: Coppock, Dagan, Zambo, Dikai, Moyo, Dumisani, Tanthuma, Gobe, Chapman, Jennifer, Re, 3rd, Vincent Lo, Graziani, Amelia, Lowenthal, Elizabeth, Hanrahan, Nancy, Littman-Quinn, Ryan, Kovarik, Carrie, Albarracin, Dolores, Holmes, John H, Gross, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 2017
• Subjects: Anti-Retroviral Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Retroviral Agents - therapeutic use; Demography; Drug Prescriptions; Female; HIV - drug effects; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - virology; Humans; Male; Medication Adherence; Smartphone; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 2511-705X
• DOI: 10.3414/ME17-01-0045

Adherence to antiretroviral medication leads to HIV suppression and decreased morbidity and mortality. In resource- limited settings, the dependence on paper medical charts and unstable electronic health records creates a challenge to monitoring medication adherence. A pharmacy-based strategy that utilizes existing cellular phone infrastructure may lead to a more stable system to monitor adherence. To develop and evaluate the usability of a smartphone-based software application (app) for tracking antiretroviral medication refill data in a resource-limited setting. A pharmacy-based smartphone app for tracking HIV medication adherence was developed through a multi-step rapid prototyping process. The usability of the app was assessed during the daily activities of pharmacy dispensers at HIV clinics in and around Gaborone, Botswana using a validated computer usability survey. The study demonstrated the effective development of and favorable end-user responses to a pharmacy-based HIV medication adherence app. End users had suggestions for minor changes to improve the app's functionality. In resource-limited settings where electronic health record support is limited, such a system was feasible and appealing. In the future, this system may allow for improved HIV medication adherence tracking and be applied to medications beyond antiretrovirals.