ArticleBMJ open2013
Mobile phone text messages for improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART): an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised trials.
Article in BMJ open, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
85 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The role of digital tools in enhancing antiretroviral therapy adherence among adolescents and young adults with HIV: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of mobile text reminder in improving adherence to medication, physical exercise, and quality of life in patients living with HIV: a systematic review.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis in the effectiveness of mobile phone interventions used to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy in HIV infection.BMC public health · 2019Pooled it
- The impact of digital health technologies on tuberculosis treatment: a systematic review.The European respiratory journal · 2018Pooled it
- Delivery arrangements for health systems in low-income countries: an overview of systematic reviews.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Implementation strategies for health systems in low-income countries: an overview of systematic reviews.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Interventions for Enhancing Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): A Systematic Review of High Quality Studies.AIDS patient care and STDs · 2015Pooled it
- Mobile phone text messaging interventions for HIV and other chronic diseases: an overview of systematic reviews and framework for evidence transfer.BMC health services research · 2015Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The being safe, health and positively empowered pilot randomized controlled trial: A digital multicomponent intervention for immigrant women with cumulative exposures to violence.Cultural diversity & ethnic minority psychology · 2025Trial
- Implementation and effectiveness of a linkage to HIV care intervention in rural South Africa (ANRS 12249 TasP trial).PloS one · 2023Trial
- Effect of a Reminder System on Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Adherence in Men Who Have Sex With Men: Prospective Cohort Study Based on WeChat Intervention.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Trial
- A Mobile Intervention to Link Young Female Entertainment Workers in Cambodia to Health and Gender-Based Violence Services: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Trial
- Development, feasibility, acceptability and preliminary evaluation of the internet and mobile phone-based BSHAPE intervention for Immigrant survivors of cumulative trauma.Contemporary clinical trials · 2021Trial
- Effect of an interactive text-messaging service on patient retention during the first year of HIV care in Kenya (WelTel Retain): an open-label, randomised parallel-group study.The Lancet. Public health · 2018Trial
- Real Time Monitoring of Engagement with a Text Message Intervention to Reduce Binge Drinking Among Men Living in Socially Disadvantaged Areas of Scotland.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2017Trial
- Trial
- SMSaúde: Evaluating Mobile Phone Text Reminders to Improve Retention in HIV Care for Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy in Mozambique.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2016Trial
- Randomized Factorial Trial of Phone-Delivered Support Counseling and Daily Text Message Reminders for HIV Treatment Adherence.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2016Trial
25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesOur objectives were to analyse the effects of text messaging versus usual care in improving adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV using individual patient data meta-analysis. Adjusted, sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted.
setting3 randomised controlled trials conducted between 2010 and 2012 in rural and urban centres in Cameroon and Kenya (two studies) were used.
participantsA total of 1166 participants were included in this analysis (Cameroon=200; Kenya=428 and 538). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was adherence to ART >95%. The secondary outcomes were mortality, losses to follow-up, transfers and withdrawals.
resultsText messaging improved adherence to ART (OR 1.38; 95% CIs 1.08 to 1.78; p=0.012), even after adjustment for baseline covariates (OR 1.46; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.88; p=0.004). Primary education (compared with no formal education) was associated with a greater intervention effect on adherence (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.48; p=0.016) and also showed a significant subgroup effect (p=0.039). In sensitivity analysis, our findings were robust to a modified threshold of adherence, multiple imputation for missing data and aggregate level data pooling, but not to fixed-effects meta-analyses using generalised estimation equations. There was a significant subgroup effect for long weekly (p=0.037), short weekly text messages (p=0.014) and interactive messaging (p=0.010). Text messaging did not significantly affect any of the secondary outcomes.
conclusionsText messaging has a significant effect on adherence to ART, and this effect is influenced by level of education, gender, timing (weekly vs daily) and interactivity. We recommend the use of interactive weekly text messaging to improve adherence to ART, which is most effective in those with at least a primary level of education.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.