“Positive Peers”: Function and Content Development of a Mobile App for Engaging and Retaining Young Adults in HIV Care

Abstract

Background Although treatment for HIV infection is widely available and well tolerated, less than 30% of adolescents and young adults living with HIV infection achieve stable viral suppression. Mobile technology affords increased opportunities for young people living with HIV to engage with information, health management tools, and social connections that can support adherence to treatment recommendations and medication. Although mobile apps are increasingly prevalent, few are informed by the target population. Objective The objective of this study was to describe the “Positive Peers” app, a mobile app currently being evaluated in a public hospital in the Midwestern United States. Formative development, key development strategies, user recruitment, and lessons learned are discussed in this paper. Methods “Positive Peers” was developed in collaboration with a community advisory board (CAB) comprising in-care young adults living with HIV and a multidisciplinary project team. Mobile app functions and features were developed over iterative collaborative sessions that were tailored to the CAB members. In turn, the CAB built rapport with the project team and revealed unique information that was used in app development. Results The study was funded on September 1, 2015; approved by the MetroHealth Institutional Review Board on August 31, 2016; and implemented from October 11, 2016, to May 31, 2019. The “Positive Peers” mobile app study has enrolled 128 users who reflect priority disparity population subgroups. The app administrator had frequent contact with users across app administration and study-related activities. Key lessons learned from the study include changing privacy concerns, data tracking reliability, and user barriers. Intermediate and outcome variable evaluation is expected in October 2019. Conclusions Successful development of the “Positive Peers” mobile app was supported by multidisciplinary expertise, an enthusiastic CAB, and a multifaceted, proactive administrator.

Using the Positive Peers Mobile App to Improve Clinical Outcomes for Young People With HIV: Prospective Observational Cohort Comparison

“…The parent study for this work was designed to develop, build, and analyze the feasibility and acceptability of the PPA by the targeted user group [ 18 ]. This study used a prospective observational single-cohort design, with measures assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months.…”

“…The Positive Peers App (PPA) was created as a suite of app functions that can address the range of possible needs a young person living with HIV might have [ 18 ]. Following the formation of a community advisory board, we developed specific technical features that promoted user agency to best address users’ needs and provide continuous, vetted, and tailored content directly to demographically defined user groups.…”

“…PPA functions range from passive to highly, including the provision of local resources (eg, housing and counseling), topical blogs, narrative accounts, medication reminders, a community forum and private chat. Evidence to date supports the PPA as being acceptable and received as intended by users [ 18 , 19 ]. User feedback suggests that the shared experience found among PPA users is perceived as both restorative and transitional [ 19 ].…”

Positive Peers Mobile Application Reduces Stigma Perception Among Young People Living With HIV

“…This study was part of the Health Resources and Services Administration's Special Projects of National Significance initiative to evaluate a spectrum of social media/Mhealth interventions across 10 demonstration sites in the United States (Medich et al, 2019). Positive Peers is a free mobile app developed in collaboration with in-care young adults living with HIV (Step et al, 2020). Following a series of focus groups with this HIV community, Positive Peers was rolled out in Fall 2016, in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio) for pilot testing.…”