NCT03600103: Tech2Check

Technology Based Community Health Nursing to Improve Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy (cART) Adherence and Virologic Suppression in Youth Living With HIV

Completed NA Last updated 12 June 2024

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Tech2Check in HIV Infections in 76 participants. Completed in 1 June 2024.

Timeline

11 July 2018

Primary endpoint
31 December 2023

1 June 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Johns Hopkins University
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	76
Start date	11 July 2018
Primary completion	31 December 2023
Estimated completion	1 June 2024
Sites	2 locations across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Tech2Check

Conditions studied

• HIV Infections — all drugs for HIV Infections →
• Adherence, Medication — all drugs for Adherence, Medication →

Sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Who can join

Adults 12 to 25, any sex, with HIV Infections or Adherence, Medication. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has disproportionately persisted as a public health threat to adolescents and young adults (AYA) from minority communities in the United States. HIV has evolved into a chronic disease, which can be managed in the outpatient setting with antiretroviral therapy (ART) designed to achieve virologic suppression and life expectancy equivalent for uninfected individuals. Community health nurse (CHN) interventions have been shown to increase access to appropriate resources, enhance health care utilization, and promote risk-reducing behavior among AYA. Use of short messaging service (SMS) messaging can further enhance clinical care by improving attendance at medical visits, medication adherence, and communication with the health care team.Investigators have used these two modalities in randomized trials of youth with complex sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in low-income minority communities with high feasibility and acceptability amongst AYA and families, remarkable improvements in visit completion, medication adherence, and reduction in recurrent STIs. The overarching goal of this project is to build on the evidence from this trial and to re-purpose the intervention for Young people living with HIV (YLHIV) in the same community who are having challenges with care and medication non-adherence.Investigators aim to compare the effectiveness of a technology-enhanced community health nursing intervention (TECH2CHECK) to a standard of care control group using a randomized trial design. The central hypothesis is that the intervention will result in higher rates of adherence to ART and virologic suppression. Investigators have demonstrated investigators' interdisciplinary team's capacity to follow urban AYA in the community, utilizing the combination of CHNs and outreach workers to optimize care according to national standards. TECH2CHECK aims to enroll 120 YLHIV followed at clinics specializing in HIV care in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area and Jacksonville, Florida who are challenged with treatment adherence and randomizing participants to receive TECH2CHECK vs. standard of care. Results of this trial will inform best practices for engaging YLHIV by addressing the distal component of the continuum, critical to achieving the elusive 90-90-90 HIV goals.

Publications & conference data

6 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Accuracy of measures for antiretroviral adherence in people living with HIV.
   Smith R, Villanueva G, Probyn K, Sguassero Y, et al · · 2022 · cited 34× · PMID 35871531 · DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd013080.pub2
2. Antiretroviral adherence for adolescents growing up with HIV: understanding real life, drug delivery and forgiveness.
   Foster C, Ayers S, Fidler S. · · 2020 · cited 30× · PMID 32523693 · DOI 10.1177/2049936120920177
3. Recruitment of Youth Living With HIV to Optimize Adherence and Virologic Suppression: Testing the Design of Technology-Based Community Health Nursing to Improve Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Clinical Trials.
   Agwu AL, Yusuf HE, D'Angelo L, Rathore M, et al · · 2020 · cited 10× · PMID 33306036 · DOI 10.2196/23480
4. Understanding Perceived Risks and Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents and Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
   Trent M, Perin J, Yusuf H, Agwu A, et al · · 2023 · cited 5× · PMID 36669959 · DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.11.249
5. Exploring Preferences, Concerns, and Implementation of Different Long-Acting Antiretroviral Strategies for Youth with HIV Facing Adherence Challenges.
   Barfield A, Ohene-Kyei ET, Smith R, Trent M, et al · · 2025 · cited 2× · PMID 40471081 · DOI 10.1089/apc.2025.0039
6. Addressing Antiretroviral Therapy Nonadherence for Youth With HIV via a Technology-Enhanced Community Nursing Intervention: Primary Results From the TECH2CHECK Randomized Trial.
   Agwu A, Ohene-Kyei ET, Perin J, Smith R, et al · · 2026 · PMID 41824594 · DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2026.01.010