The study was conducted in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, among 162 people living with HIV; findings presented at Virtual CROI 2021.
Fake images. The study was conducted with guidance from Amazon.com during COVID-19 restrictions in South Africa.
Home delivery of HIV medications in South Africa significantly increased viral suppression compared to those who received clinical care, according to a study by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
The study, conducted with guidance from Amazon.com during COVID-19 restrictions in South Africa, showed that among study participants, paying a fee for home delivery and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART) was highly acceptable in the context of low income and high unemployment, and, as a result, led to better health outcomes.
The research findings were presented on March 8 at the 2021 Virtual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).
The flat-rate home delivery fee was tiered based on participants' income (US$2, $4, $6). Working with a route scientist from Amazon.com, the team developed an algorithm to support efficient medication delivery that selected a route based on ART's remaining supply and the customer's location. The study team then administered the medication according to the algorithm.
After 47 weeks, the study found that, compared to standard clinical care, the home delivery ART fee significantly increased viral suppression from 74% in the clinic group to 88% in the home delivery group.
“It was heartening to see that clinic services were able to transition to expedited medication collection while maintaining viral suppression, but overall, the paid home delivery model worked significantly better, particularly among men who may be harder to reach with clinic-based services,” said lead researcher Ruanne Barnabas , professor of global health at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
The study team conducted the randomized trial from October 2019 to December 2021 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, among 162 people living with HIV. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Home Delivery Fee and ART monitoring or Clinic-based ART (standard of care).
The study provides evidence that home delivery and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is convenient, overcomes logistical barriers, and could increase ART adherence and viral suppression, particularly among men who are less involved in in-clinic HIV care than women. If customers pay for this service and the benefits are sufficient, it could be a scalable strategy.
From: https://newsroom.uw.edu/news/study-increase-taking-hiv-meds-using-amazon-prime-model March 8, 2021