MCRAG Project – The Medical Concierge Group
mCRAG project is a Randomized Controlled Trial using SMS through the open source RapidPro SMS platform to examine patient retention in the care and treatment of HIV/ AIDS and Cryptococcal Meningitis.
The study is implemented by the Infectious Diseases Institute & the University of Minnesota supported by The Medical Concierge Group.
Treatment adherence for opportunistic infections in HIV is critical for good clinical outcomes and reduction of mortality and morbidity.
With the screening of HIV patients for cryptococcal meningitis (CCM) becoming mainstream, innovative ways need to be devised to keep those diagnosed in care for optimal prophylaxis or treatment.
It aims at assessing the effectiveness of integrating SMS and voice messaging services in inpatient linkage and retention into HIV/AIDS and Cryptococcal Meningitis care.
This continues to pose a significant challenge for the healthcare system because many patients only engage with the healthcare system when they are already critically ill or may be lost to follow up despite their initial engagement.
The result of this study will determine if the addition of SMS or voice messages to patient care improves early diagnosis, treatment adherence, retention into care.
- 600 Participants are enrolled.
- 300 are in the mHealth intervention arm for retention follow-up.
- The implementation site is Kisenyi Health center, Kampala Uganda.