The Center for Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention at Children's Memorial is in the midst of an inventive study utilizing the way youth communicate today as an advantage to increase their compliance with HIV medication regimens.
"A centralized computerized text message is sent to each of the participants using a message of their own choosing like 'drink your juice Shelby' to remind them to take their meds," said Dr. Robert Garofalo.
Garafalo, the director of adolescent HIV services at Children's Memorial and associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is the study's principal investigator.
The TxTxt Study has enrolled more than 70 youth and is still actively recruiting participants.
"The study came out of my own experience with adolescents and their social reality and in some cases addiction to text messaging," said Garafalo. The study has been active for a year now and still has another 18 months of operation.
"This is a randomized control trial. So some of the group will get the texts and some do not. But then we deal with some ethical responsibility regarding the group that does not," said Garafalo. "A pilot study conducted from funding from the National Institute of Heath ( NIH ) originally had a successful study using 25 individuals over a much shorter period."
That rudimentary study found that text messages did increase the likelihood that young people with HIV would remain compliant with their treatment regimen. "The pilot group found the text messages annoying but very helpful," Garafalo said.
The TxTxt Study is aimed at vulnerable populations, homeless and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning ( LGBTQ ) youth.
"The only criterion that must be met in order to be a part of this study is that the youth must be on a prescribed regimen of treatment and have their own cell phone," said Garafalo. "We worked with T-PAN, Stroger and Sinai [ hospitals ] to help find those who might qualify for this study. Currently, we are still seeking some to participate."
The study still has about 50 more openings for those who are interested and who qualify.
Garafalo began his medical career as a primary care physician but began finding himself drawn to working with adolescents with a subspecialty in HIV-positive care. "Working with younger people with HIV is no different than working with those who are negative. They still talk about dating, school, acne. These are normal adolescents," said Garafalo.
The study, if successful, could have enormous ramifications for those living with HIV and AIDS. "If this process if shown to be effective in increasing medication compliance this could greatly alter medicine compliance for a great many individuals under ACA [ the Affordable Care Act ] ," said Garafalo.
If you or someone you know believes they are qualified for the study and would like to participate or would like more information, please call 773-880-6984 or email txtxt@childrensmemorial.org .
This story is part of the Local Reporting Initiative, supported in part by The Chicago Community Trust.