Comparing Mobile Health Strategies to Improve Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Use (PrEP) for HIV Prevention

"PrEPmate is a multi-component mHealth intervention grounded in the information, motivation, behavioral skills (IMB) theory of behavior change and developed through user-centered design. PrEPmate promotes personalized communication between patients and providers through interactive weekly check-in messages asking participants how PrEP is going, allowing navigators to identify patients needing more help in taking PrEP, and customized daily pill-taking reminder messages. Trained PrEP navigators reach out to participants who indicate they need assistance via text or phone call and provide tailored support. Additionally, the platform supports 2-way communication between patients and PrEP navigators, including reminders for upcoming clinic visits. Participants are provided links to key information about PrEP (PrEP Basics), and video testimonials of peers taking PrEP. Messages are available in English and Spanish. PrEPmate is aimed at both patients and PrEP navigators."

Dot Diary is a mobile phone app that integrates an electronic pill-taking and sex diary and delivers real-time feedback on PrEP protection. Using the self-management model to increase self-efficacy and patient empowerment, participants log daily PrEP pill-taking and sexual behaviors in the app, which then provides real-time feedback on the level of protection achieved from PrEP (high, medium, low), and customized instructions on doses of PrEP needed to achieve or maintain high protection. Participants can also view a weekly and monthly calendar, including visualizations of the proportion of sex acts covered by PrEP. Finally, the Dot Diary app incorporates gamification components, including an ability to earn sex-positive badges, to increase engagement. Dot Diary is aimed only at patients.