Abstract:

A minimum of 95% drug adherence is necessary to achieve immunological and virological success in antiretroviral therapy, and to attain this level; patients need to be assisted. The study therefore aimed at comparing the effect of reminder tools on antiretroviral drug adherence among people living with human immunodeficiency virus. The study was a randomised field trial. Questionnaire and adherence assessment forms were administered to two hundred, and twenty-five patients, and information was elicited on socio-demographic history, antiretroviral drug usage, and adherence behaviour. Alarm clocks and counselling were given to one group, stickers, reminder cards, and counselling to the second group, while counselling alone was given to the third group as interventions. Three months later, data were collected from the same patients in order to compare the effect reminder tools had on antiretroviral drug adherence among the patients. Data were entered into Epi Info version 3.5.1 2008 statistical software and analyzed. The optimum adherence levels were 78.7%, 80.0%, and 84.0% at pre-intervention among groups that had alarm clock with counselling, sticker, reminder card with counselling, and those that had counselling alone respectively. The drug side effect was negatively associated with adherence level (p< 0.05), while pill count was not associated with adherence level (p>0.05). At post-intervention, the adherence levels increased by 18.5%, 6.8%, and 1.9%, respectively, among groups that had alarm clock with counselling (p<0.05), sticker, reminder card with counselling (p>0.05), and those that had counselling alone (p>0.05). The alarm clock was more effective than stickers and hand-held cards in improving adherence.

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