愛滋感染者以手機提醒回診就醫之接受度

Willingness to Receive Text Message Appointment Reminders Among Patients With HIV Infection

背景：行動健康（mobile health, mHealth）整合無線通訊科技於健康照護領域，其中以手機簡訊（shortmessage service, SMS）最常被運用在愛滋病照顧。基於台灣手機的普及率高及持續回診就醫率低，手機簡訊成為未來提升回診就醫的行動健康之重要工具。目的：調查愛滋感染者手機持有率及運用行動科技提醒愛滋感染者定期回診的意願。方法　以橫斷面調查法收集405位愛滋感染者運用手機的使用率、使用型態。結果　384位符合收案條件的愛滋感染者參與研究，參與率約94.8%。73.3%的感染者表示願意接收提醒訊息以提醒他們定期回診。控制社會人口學之干擾變項進行多變項邏輯式回歸發現，願意接收提醒回診訊息之個案，其教育程度為大專以下（AOR = 2.06, 95% CI [1.05, 4.04]），與常使用手機鬧鐘或行事曆作為提醒功能（AOR = 4.01, 95% CI [1.51, 10.66]）有顯著相關。結論／實務應用　愛滋感染者對於結合無線通訊行動科技於愛滋照顧的接收度高，但需確保個人隱私避免感染狀況曝光，未來需進一步驗證運用行動健康提升愛滋照護品質的成效。

Background: Wireless communication technologies are increasingly being used in the fields of healthcare, with platforms such as mobile health (mHealth) being widely implemented in HIV care. The rapid expansion of mobile technologies, including smartphone applications (apps), provides a unique opportunity to effectively remind patients about regular follow-up appointments, thereby ensuring patient retention and resulting in a higher quality of care for HIV patients. Purpose: This study examines mobile phone users' usage patterns, application usage, and challenges associated with the use of a mobile phone reminder system in order to improve retention in HIV care among patients. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to collect data on the usage and patterns of communication technologies from 405 patients. Results: This study included 384 of the 405 eligible patients, resulting in a response rate of 94.8%. A majority of participants (73.3%) indicated their willingness to receive reminders via a text message regarding their upcoming HIV clinical appointments. After adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables, multiple logistic regression models indicated that the willingness to receive reminder messages was independently associated with having a college-level education (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI [1.05, 4.04]) and with having prior experience with using electronic reminders (AOR = 4.01, 95% CI [1.51, 10.66]). Conclusions / Implications for Practice: Protection of personal information was identified as the most important factor that must be addressed in order to increase patient willingness to use a cell phone reminder system. Our findings suggest that mobile technologies are a widely used and an acceptable method for improving quality of care for HIV patients.