Adaptation of a theory-based social networking and gamified app-based intervention to improve PrEP adherence among young men who have sex with men in Bangkok, Thailand (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wipaporn Natalie Songtaweesin ◽  
Sara LeGrand ◽  
Shashika Bandara ◽  
Caitlin Piccone ◽  
Prissana Wongharn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Young Men ◽  
The United States ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND In Thailand, HIV disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM). Recent studies indicate a high incidence and prevalence of HIV in Bangkok among MSM, with higher risk of infection for young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and efficacious method for preventing transmission of HIV. The Thai national guidelines have recommended PrEP since 2014 for key poulations nationwide and the government has piloted free PrEP coverage since October 2019. Smartphone based mHealth interventions provide an optimal platform to deliver innovative PrEP adherence interventions for Thai YMSM. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to conduct formative research to adapt the P3 (Prepared, Protected, emPowered) app, developed with MSM and transwomen in the United States to improve PrEP adherence and persistence, for YMSM in the Thai context. METHODS We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with YMSM and key informant interviews (KIIs) with PrEP care providers in Bangkok, Thailand to better understand: a) PrEP adherence facilitators and barriers b) preferences for functions and features in mHealth apps among YMSM; and c) how to best adapt the P3 app to the Thai context. We conducted 4 FGDs with 4-8 participants per group and 15 KIIs in Bangkok, Thailland. RESULTS For FGDs, a total of 23 YMSM participated with a mean age of 20 years (range 18-21), 96% enrolled in full-time education, and all owned smartphones. The mean age of KII participants was 40 (range 26-60); most were publicly employed health service providers with the majority of them being counselors (40%) and physicians (40%). Overall, the facilitators and barriers for PrEP adherence identified were similar to those of MSM and YMSM in the US and other parts of the world. Key themes included general recommendations for improving mHealth apps in Thailand, such as presenting reliable information in an appealing format, minimizing privacy risks, and addressing connectivity challenges. Additional themes focused on P3T adaptations and were related to cultural and stylistic preferences, engagement strategies, and recommendations for new functions. To develop the adapted app, P3 Thailand (P3T), these findings were balanced with resource limitations resulting in prioritization of minor modifications in app aesthetics and changes in the presentation and content of information in two of the app’s features. CONCLUSIONS The core features of the P3 app address the main PrEP facilitators and barriers for Thai YMSM, However, substantive changes to the stylistic presentation and content were needed to appropriately tailor and customize the app for the Thai context. Based on the similarities of facilitators and barriers for PrEP adherence globally, adapting existing PrEP mHealth solutions based on input from end-users and key informants provides a promising way forward. However, partnerships with local app designers and developers could improve the adaptation process and final product. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04413708

Perceptions of Contexts of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young, Partnered Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110014
Author(s):  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Lynae A. Darbes ◽  
Matthew T Rosso ◽  
Catherine Washington ◽  
Lisa Hightow-Weidman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Male Couples ◽  
Younger Men ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Controlling Behaviors

There has been a growth in research illustrating that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at rates that are comparable to those among heterosexual women. However, the majority of research on IPV among same-sex male couples has focused on adults, and research on the experience of IPV among younger men (those aged under 18), remains at a nascent stage, despite knowledge that IPV is often common among younger men. This article adds to the growing body of literature on IPV among young GBMSM (YGBMSM) through of an analysis of qualitative data from in-depth interviews (IDI) with GBMSM aged 15–19 ( n = 30) in romantic relationships partnerships. The study sought to explore issues of relationship development, relationship contexts, and understandings of IPV. More than one-half of the sample reported experiencing some form of IPV in their current or past relationships. Participants described a range of experiences of IPV, including physical IPV, emotional IPV, sexual IPV, and controlling behaviors. Emotional IPV in the form of negative comments and controlling behaviors such as jealousy were the most commonly reported forms of violence behaviors. Although few participants reported experiencing physical or sexual IPV, several discussed concerns about giving, and partners’ acknowledging, sexual consent. Antecedents to IPV included wanting or feeling pressured to participate in normative development milestones, short-lived relationships, and societal stigma. Interventions that develop content on IPV and that reflect the lived realities of YGBMSM who are experiencing their first relationships are urgently needed. Study findings also support the need for training teachers, health care providers, and parents to identify signs of IPV and provide them with the knowledge and skills to talk to YGBMSM about relationships and violence to reduce IPV.

Fraud and Abuse: United States ex rel Merena v. SmithKline Beecham Corp.; United States ex rel Spear v. SmithKline Beecham Clinical Lab.; United States ex rel Grossenbacher v. SmithKline Beecham Clinical Lab.

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allyson Behm
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Individual Analysis ◽  
Court Of Appeals ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Government

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that when quitam relators file a multi-claim complaint under the Fraudulent Claims Act (FCA), their share of the proceeds must be based on an individual analysis of each claim. More importantly, the court held that relators are not entitled to any portion of the settlement of a specific claim if that claim was subject to dismissal under section 3730(e)(4) Relator Merena filed a quitam suit against his employer, SmithKline Beecham (SKB), claiming, among other things, that SKB defrauded the government by billing for laboratory tests that were not performed, paying illegal kickbacks to health care providers, and participating in an “automated chemistry” scheme. Soon thereafter, additional relators filed suit.

Psychological, Social and Technical Factors Influencing Electronic Medical Records Systems Adoption by U.S. Physicians: A Systematic Model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raghid El-Yafouri ◽  
Leslie Klieb ◽  
Valérie Sabatier
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Electronic Medical Records ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Intention To Adopt

Abstract Background: Wide adoption of electronic medical records (EMR) systems in the United States can lead to better quality medical care at a lower cost. Despite the laws and financial subsidies by the U.S. government for service providers and suppliers, the adoption has been slow. Understanding the EMR adoption drivers for physicians and the role of policymaking can translate into increased adoption rate and enhanced information sharing between medical care providers. Methods: Physicians across the United States were surveyed to gather primary data on their psychological, social, and technical perceptions toward EMR systems. This quantitative study builds on the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Diffusion of Innovation theory to propose, test, and validate an innovation adoption model for the health care industry. 382 responses were collected and data were analyzed via linear regression to uncover the effects of 12 variables on the intention to adopt EMR systems.Results: Regression model testing uncovers that government policymaking or mandates and other social factors have little or negligible effect on physicians’ intention to adopt an innovation. Rather, physicians are directly driven by their attitudes and ability to control, and indirectly motivated by their knowledge of the innovation, the financial ability to acquire the system, the holistic benefits to their industry, and the relative advancement of the system compared to others.Conclusions: A unidirectional mandate from the government is not sufficient for physicians to adopt an innovation. Government, health care associations, and EMR system vendors can benefit from our findings by working toward increasing the physicians’ knowledge of the proposed innovation, socializing how medical care providers and the overall industry can benefit from EMR system adoption, and solving for the financial burden of system implementation and sustainment.

scholarly journals A three-city comparison of drug use and drug use before sex among young men who have sex with men in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Feinstein ◽  
Raymond L. Moody ◽  
Steven A. John ◽  
Jeffrey T. Parsons ◽  
Brian Mustanski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Young Men ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sex With Men

Illegal Encounters

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Border Enforcement ◽  
The Government ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Young Immigrants

The book considers illegality, deportability, and deportation in the lives of young people—those who migrate as well as those who are affected by the migration of others. A primary focus of the volume is to understand how children and youth encounter, move through, or are outside of a range of legal processes, including border enforcement, immigration detention, federal custody, courts, and state processes of categorization. Even if young people do not directly interact with state immigration systems—because they are U.S. citizens or have avoided detention—they are nonetheless deeply impacted by the reach of the government in its many forms. Combining different perspectives from advocates, service providers, attorneys, researchers, and, significantly, young immigrants, the book presents ethnographically rich accounts that can contribute to informed debates and policy reforms. By underscoring the ways in which young people encounter and/or avoid legal systems, the book problematizes the policies, laws, and legal categories that shape so much of daily life of young immigrants. The book makes visible the burdens, hopes, and potential of a population of young people and their families who have been largely hidden from public view and are currently under siege, following young people as they move into, through, and out of the complicated immigration systems and institutions in the United States.

scholarly journals Influence of Partner Type on Acceptability and Likelihood of Use of a Rectal Microbicide Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States and Puerto Rico

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 633-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Giguere ◽  
Curtis Dolezal ◽  
José A. Bauermeister ◽  
Timothy Frasca ◽  
Juan Valladares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Young Men ◽  
The United States ◽  
Partner Type ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Rectal Microbicide

scholarly journals mHealth Strategies Related to HIV Postexposure Prophylaxis Knowledge and Access: Systematic Literature Review, Technology Prospecting of Patent Databases, and Systematic Search on App Stores

10.2196/23912 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e23912
Author(s):  
Artur Acelino Francisco Luz Nunes Queiroz ◽  
Isabel Amélia Costa Mendes ◽  
Simone de Godoy ◽  
Luís Velez Lapão ◽  
Sónia Dias
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patent Analysis ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Postexposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Industrial Property ◽  
Sex With Men

Background Globally, the number of HIV cases continue to increase, despite the development of multiple prevention strategies. New cases of HIV have been reported disproportionately more in men who have sex with men and other vulnerable populations. Issues such as internalized and structural homophobia prevent these men from accessing prevention strategies such as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are known to be one of the newest and preferred options to enhance PEP knowledge and access. Objective The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the mobile apps addressing PEP for HIV infections. Methods We conducted a descriptive exploratory study in 3 sequential phases: systematic literature review, patent analysis, and systematic search of app stores. For the systematic review, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines adapted for an integrative review in the databases of PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, Science Direct, Eric, Treasure, and CINAHL. The patent analysis was performed by exploring the databases of the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the European Patent Office. For the systematic search, we analyzed mHealth apps related to HIV in 2 major app libraries, that is, Google Play Store and App Store. The apps were evaluated by name, characteristics, functions, and availability in iPhone operating system/Android phones. Results We analyzed 22 studies, of which 2 were selected for the final stage. Both studies present the use of apps as mHealth strategies aimed at improving the sexual health of men who have sex with men, and they were classified as decision support systems. The search in the patent databases showed only 1 result, which was not related to the topic since it was a drug intervention. In the app libraries, 25 apps were found and analyzed, with 15 (60%) apps available for Android systems but only 3 (12%) addressing PEP. In general, the apps inform about HIV and HIV prevention and treatment, with the focus users being health care providers, people with HIV, or the general population, but they have only limited features available, that is, mainly text, images, and videos. The 3 apps exclusively focusing on PEP were created by researchers from Brazilian universities. Conclusions Our review found no connection between the scientific studies, registered patents, and the available apps related to PEP; this finding indicates that these available apps do not have a theoretical or a methodological background in their creation. Thus, since the scientific knowledge on HIV is not translated into technological products, preventing the emergence of new infections, especially in the more vulnerable groups, is difficult. In the future, researchers and the community must work in synergy to create more mHealth tools aimed at PEP.

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