A SMARTPHONE app for HIV risk tracking showed high usability and strong daily compliance among MSM with HIV.
Smartphone App for HIV Risk Tracking Shows High Usability
A smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment tool may help capture real-time health risk behaviors among high-risk HIV populations, according to a development and usability study conducted among men who have sex with men with HIV in Peru.
HIV incidence has continued to rise among MSM in Peru despite intervention efforts. Reducing stigma, improving medication adherence, and addressing behaviors that increase HIV transmission risk remain central to prevention strategies. Ecological momentary assessment, or EMA, offers a way to collect discrete, real-time data on stigmatized or sensitive behaviors while reducing the recall bias that can affect retrospective reporting.
The mixed-method study evaluated an EMA smartphone app designed to track daily health risk behaviors. Ten MSM with HIV participated in a three-phase assessment that included usability testing, a 10-day field test, and a debriefing focus group. Quantitative survey responses and user analytics were used to assess acceptability and compliance, while qualitative interview and focus group data provided deeper insight into user satisfaction.
Real-Time Data Capture Proves Feasible
Acceptability of the smartphone app was high, with a mean usability rating of 6.4 out of 7.0, indicating strong satisfaction, ease of use, and perceived usefulness. During the 10-day field test, average compliance reached 93%, with 93 of 100 expected entries completed. This suggests that daily tracking of health risk behaviors through an EMA app may be feasible in this population.
User feedback further supported the app’s clinical and research potential. Participants described the tool as navigable and time-efficient, with promise for longer-term use. Daily reminders and incentives were identified as potential features to support sustained engagement over time.
Privacy and Just-in-Time HIV Interventions
The findings suggest that EMA apps may provide valuable real-time data while protecting user privacy, a critical consideration when assessing substance use, sexual risk behaviors, stigma, and medication adherence among high-risk HIV populations.
This formative work provides a foundation for larger ecological momentary assessment studies and future just-in-time interventions. By identifying risk patterns as they occur, smartphone-based tools could help inform strategies to reduce risky behaviors, address stigma, and improve adherence among people with HIV.
Reference
Krishnan A et al. An Ecological Momentary Assessment Smartphone App for High-Risk HIV Populations: Development and Usability Study. JMIR Form Res. 2026;10:e85108.
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