A Randomized Controlled Trial to Enhance Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence in Patients with a History of Alcohol Problems

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an individualized multicomponent intervention to promote adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals with a history of alcohol problems.

Design: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the usual medical follow-up with an adherence intervention.

Setting: The principal enrolment site was Boston Medical Center, a private, not-for-profit, academic medical institution.

Subjects: HIV-infected patients with a history of alcohol problems on ART. A total of 151 were enrolled and 141 (93%) were assessed at follow-up.

Intervention: A nurse, trained in motivational interviewing, completed the following over 3 months in four encounters: addressed alcohol problems; provided a watch with a programmable timer to facilitate pill taking; enhanced perception of treatment efficacy; and delivered individually tailored assistance to facilitate medication use.

Main Outcome Measures: Prior 30-day adherence > or =95%, prior 3-day adherence of 100%, CD4 cell count, HIV RNA and alcohol consumption, each at both short- and long-term follow-up.

Results: At follow-up, no significant differences in medication adherence, CD4 cell count, HIV RNA or alcohol consumption were found (all P values >0.25).

Conclusions: A multicomponent intervention to enhance adherence among HIV-infected individuals with a history of alcohol problems was not associated with changes in medication adherence, alcohol consumption or markers of HIV disease progression. The failure to change adherence in a group at high risk for poor adherence, despite utilizing an intensive individual-focused patient intervention, supports the idea of addressing medication adherence with supervised medication delivery or markedly simplified dosing regimens.