The Treatment Ambassador Program: A Highly Acceptable and Feasible Community-Based Peer Intervention for South Africans Living with HIV Who Delay or Discontinue Antiretroviral Therapy.

Authors

Ingrid T. Katz, Harvard University
Laura M. Bogart, RAND Corporation
Garrett M. Fitzmaurice, Harvard UniversityFollow
Vincent S. Staggs, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Marya V. Gwadz, New York University
Ingrid V. Bassett, Harvard University
Anna Cross, University of Cape Town
Ingrid Courtney, University of Cape Town
Lungiswa Tsolekile, University of the Western Cape
David Bangsberg, OHSU-PSU School of Public HealthFollow

Sponsor

National Institute of Health (NIH); Institute: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); Type: Planning Grant (R34). Project #: 5R34MH108393-02. Dr. Bogart was additionally support by P30MH058107. Dr. Bassett was supported to this work by a K24AI141036 grant from the NIH. The study can be referenced on Clinicaltrials.gov under the unique identifier NCT03099707.

Published In

AIDS and Behavior

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

10-30-2020

Abstract

We conducted a novel pilot randomized controlled trial of the Treatment Ambassador Program (TAP), an 8-session, peer-based, behavioral intervention for people with HIV (PWH) in South Africa not on antiretroviral therapy (ART). PWH (43 intervention, 41 controls) completed baseline, 3- and 6-month assessments. TAP was highly feasible (90% completion), with peer counselors demonstrating good intervention fidelity. Post-intervention interviews showed high acceptability of TAP and counselors, who supported autonomy, assisted with clinical navigation, and provided psychosocial support. Intention-to-treat analyses indicated increased ART initiation by 3 months in the intervention vs. control arm (12.2% [5/41] vs. 2.3% [1/43], Fisher exact p-value = 0.105; Cohen's h = 0.41). Among those previously on ART (off for > 6 months), 33.3% initiated ART by 3 months in the intervention vs. 14.3% in the control arm (Cohen's h = 0.45). Results suggest that TAP was highly acceptable and feasible among PWH not on ART.

Rights

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03063-1

DOI

10.1007/s10461-020-03063-1

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/34643

Citation Details

Katz, I. T., Bogart, L. M., Fitzmaurice, G. M., Staggs, V. S., Gwadz, M. V., Bassett, I. V., Cross, A., Courtney, I., Tsolekile, L., Panda, R., Steck, S., Bangsberg, D. R., Orrell, C., & Goggin, K. (2020). The Treatment Ambassador Program: A Highly Acceptable and Feasible Community-Based Peer Intervention for South Africans Living with HIV Who Delay or Discontinue Antiretroviral Therapy. AIDS and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03063-1