Perceptions and Experiences with the VOICE Adherence Strengthening Program (VASP) in the MTN-003 Trial.
The VOICE Adherence Strengthening Program (VASP) was implemented in May 2011 to improve adherence counseling in VOICE (MTN-003), a multisite placebo-controlled trial of daily oral or vaginal tenofovir-based Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Anonymous baseline (N = 82) and final follow-up (N = 75) surveys were administered to counselors and pharmacists at 15 VOICE sites, and baseline (N = 18) and final (N = 26) qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected counseling staff at 13 VOICE sites. Qualitative interviews with VOICE participants (N = 38) were also analyzed for segments related to counseling. Behavioral and biological measures of product use collected in the 6 months prior to VASP implementation were compared to those collected during the 6 months following implementation. Results show that the majority of staff preferred VASP and thought that participants preferred VASP over the previous education and counseling strategy, although there was no evidence to suggest that participants noticed modifications in the counseling approach. No meaningful changes were observed in pre/post levels of reported use or drug detection. Interpretation of results is complicated by mid-trial implementation of VASP and its proximity to early closure of oral and vaginal tenofovir study arms because of futility.
Women's Global Health Imperative (WGHI), RTI International, 351 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco, CA, 94104, USA, ariane@rti.org.
Ariane
A
van der Straten
Ashley
A
Mayo
Elizabeth R
ER
Brown
K Rivet
KR
Amico
Helen
H
Cheng
Nicole
N
Laborde
Jeanne
J
Marrazzo
Kristine
K
Torjesen
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010465:Perception; D065129:Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000068698:Tenofovir / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016903:Drug Monitoring
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000068698:Tenofovir