Experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS in selected hospitals in Imo state, Nigeria, regarding the usability and satisfaction of reminders using M-health features: a qualitative study

HIV presents an ongoing, serious issue within the global public health domain, with prevalence across all nations. Mobile health (m-Health) is the use of mobile and wireless devices to improve health outcomes, health care services, and health research has been shown to have the capacity to improve medication adherence. Good adherence to ART is beneficial to patients and the public. This study aimed to assess the reported usability and satisfaction of m-Health among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The study included PLWHA under care at the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH) Owerri who were previously enrolled in m-Health intervention programme. A total of 50 participants were purposefully selected for this study. This descriptive-qualitative study lasted for 3 months. In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 participants who had completed at least 7 weeks since enrolling in the trial. Data results were grouped into five main themes: varying usefulness of the intervention, the need for confidentiality, concerns about delivery modes, reasons for non-compliance, and barriers to attending appointments. Majority of the participants expressed satisfaction with the intervention they received, while some discontinued before the end due to reasons such as faith healing, use of herbal drugs, and fear of disclosure. The study emphasizes the need to integrate m-Health into standard care for PLWHA to enhance adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) refill schedules, medication dosage, and timing of intake. Due to the ongoing demand for more diverse and advanced technology, using mobile health to assist PLWHA in adhering to their medication is very feasible. Text messaging, phone calls, and WhatsApp audio notes have been recognized as valuable tools for promoting medication adherence and facilitating timely drug refills. The findings underscored the factors affecting patients' readiness, acceptance, and the barriers to effectively utilizing mobile health solutions for managing adherence challenges. The majority of study participants expressed satisfaction with the ease of use of this m-Health intervention. They reported that it helped them with the timely intake of their medication at the correct dosage, prompt refills, and keeping appointments with healthcare personnel. It is important to integrate m-Health into standard hospital procedures. Future studies should focus on developing an app that automatically tracks medication intake for PLWHA.