Mitigating HIV Health Disparities: The Promise of Mobile Health for a Patient-Initiated Solution

Abstract

The HIV epidemic is an ongoing public health problem fueled, in part, by undertesting for HIV. When HIV-infected people learn their status, many of them decrease risky behaviors and begin therapy to decrease viral load, both of which prevent ongoing spread of HIV in the community. Some physicians face barriers to testing their patients for HIV and would rather their patients ask them for the HIV test. A campaign prompting patients to ask their physicians about HIV testing could increase testing. A mobile health (mHealth) campaign would be a low-cost, accessible solution to activate patients to take greater control of their health, especially populations at risk for HIV. This campaign could achieve Healthy People 2020 objectives: improve patient-physician communication, improve HIV testing, and increase use of mHealth.