Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40233346›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2025

Technology-Assisted Interventions in the Delivery of HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment Services in Sub-Saharan Africa: Scoping Review.

Louis Henry Kamulegeya, Ivan Kagolo, Brenda Kabakaari, Joan Atuhaire, Racheal Nasamula, J M Bwanika

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Louis Henry KamulegeyaAfrica Center for Applied Digital Health, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4501-1427
Ivan KagoloAfrica Center for Applied Digital Health, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2231-124X
Brenda KabakaariAfrica Center for Applied Digital Health, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0173-4640
Joan AtuhaireAfrica Center for Applied Digital Health, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9542-1534
Racheal NasamulaAfrica Center for Applied Digital Health, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5831-1933
J M BwanikaAfrica Center for Applied Digital Health, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6745-1274

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounts for up to 67% of the global HIV burden yet grapples with health system challenges like distant health facilities, low doctor-to-patient ratio, and poor or non-functioning post-hospital follow-up mechanisms. The rising phone ownership and internet penetration in SSA (46% and 67%, respectively) offer an opportunity to leverage technology to address these gaps and drive toward achieving the UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS) 95-95-95 targets.

objectiveWe undertook a scoping review to understand how digital technologies have been integrated into HIV prevention, care, and treatment services delivery in SSA.

methodsA scoping review involving 4 databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Google Scholar) was carried out, encompassing studies related to technology use in the delivery of HIV prevention, care, and treatment published from January 1, 2019, to December 30, 2023. Search terms like "telemedicine," "telehealth," "mobile health," "eHealth," "mHealth," "telecommunication," "mobile application," and "digital health," among others, were used. Of the 310 papers identified, 11 were excluded due to duplicity, 299 were from outside SSA and the intervention was not well described, and 149 were due to the year of publication and study type being a literature review or study protocols, leaving 17 papers that were considered for the review.

resultsFrom the 17 studies summarized, the technologies identified included social media (n=1), interactive voice response (n=1), hotlines (n=1), mobile apps (n=7), health information systems (n=2), chatbots (n=1), and SMS text messages (n=5). Adolescents (11-14 years) and youths (20-35 years) formed the majority of users. The use cases included reminders on facility events, teleconsultations, patient registration, and health information dissemination, among others. Different parameters of individual digital tools were tracked, including feasibility, usability, adoption, and impact on the desired outcome.

conclusionsThe integration of digital technologies in health care can address the known challenges in the delivery of HIV prevention, care, and treatment services, facilitate customization of care to individual needs, and thus increase or diversify options available to patients.

Indexed as

Delivery of Health CareHIV InfectionsAfrica South of the SaharaHumansMobile ApplicationsTelemedicinechatbotsdigital healthHIVmHealthmobile applicationSub-Sahara Africatelehealth

Identifiers

PMID40233346
PMCPMC12041816

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.