Managed Problem Solving to Increase Treatment Adherence in Individuals With HIV

HAART is considered to be the most effective treatment for HIV. However, sustained and consistent adherence to HAART is necessary for long-term success. Issues such as memory problems, lack of social support, medication side effects, depression, and substance abuse can significantly reduce patient adherence to HAART. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a managed problem solving strategy to increase HAART adherence in patients with HIV. Both treatment-naive and treatment-experienced participants will be recruited for this study.

The treatment part of this study will last 12 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive the managed problem solving intervention or standard of care for 12 months. Participants in the managed problem solving group will have 4 study visits and will receive 3 phone calls for the first 3 months of the study, and 1 phone call every month for the following 9 months. At each study visit, participants will identify barriers to adherence. During the phone calls, participants will be asked about any steps they have taken to improve their adherence. A medication event monitoring system (MEMS) will be used to assess participants' treatment adherence. MEMS uses microelectronic monitors on the caps of medication bottles to record the timing and frequency of bottle openings. Participants whose adherence has decreased or remained the same at the end of 12 months will be evaluated for regimen changes. Blood collection at the beginning and end of the study will be used to measure viral load and CD4 count. Follow-up phone interviews will be conducted every year for 3 years after the end of treatment.

Study hypothesis: Managed problem solving will result in better adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and better virologic control and immunological outcomes at the end of 1 year compared with a control group receiving standard or care.

Inclusion criteria

for All Participants:

• HIV infected
• Infection likely to be susceptible to a specific treatment regimen
• Have access to a telephone
• Willing and able to comply with all study requirements

Exclusion criteria

for All Participants:

• Live in a care facility that provides medications on schedule

Inclusion criteria

for Treatment-Experienced Participants:

• Restarting HAART after a treatment interruption of at least 3 months OR after virologic failure with a viral load greater than 1,000 copies/ml
• On a treatment regimen for less than 2 weeks prior to study entry