Protocol for Using Mobile Phone Text Messaging to Improve Adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Interventions for improving medication adherence that can become part of patients’ daily life are critical as the therapy is lifelong. Medication adherence is the cornerstone of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). With the blooming of cell phone ownership worldwide, research using mobile phone strategies to improve HAART adherence has increased. In addition, there are over 28 million mobile phone subscribers in Taiwan (Institution of Information Industry, 2011). We carried out a literature review selection using the population, intervention, comparison and outcome(s) (PICO) format. We used evidence gathered by evidenced-based methods to construct a clinical guideline. Evidence from two randomized control trials and two systematic reviews that used the mobile phone as the intervention was included in the protocol. A protocol for using mobile phone texting as an intervention to improve adherence was thereby established. Key words: Mobile phone; Adherence; Intervention; HAART