The background and problem statement focuses on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the use of mobile technology to improve compliance within a primary health care (PHC) context in South Africa. South Africa is one of the countries, globally, with the highest HIV incidence and prevalence and ART enrolled patients visiting PHC facilities. Compliance to ART plays an integral part in effective HIV/AIDS management. HIV/AIDS management entails a complex process of patient education and pharmacological control to improve ART compliance in South Africa. Studies were done in South Africa on reminder messages as most studies focused on chronic conditions in general. A literature review explored what is known about ART and mobile technology to improve compliance. Literature confirmed that compliance through reminder messages were done worldwide and in Sub-Saharan countries. Previous research indicated that the compliance rate of the patients increased through reminder messages. Yet there is a gap in the literature regarding reminder messages combined with health education on ART compliance. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of reminder messages combined with health education on ART compliance among patients receiving ART at a PHC facility Methodology: The study followed a quantitative, experimental, intervention, randomised multi-group, pre- and post measurement design (Creswell, 2012:1, Welman et al., 2012:80). The research design is experimental because the researcher applied an intervention (reminder messages) to two experimental groups. Random sampling was applied and participants were grouped into three groups: Group A, (control group), Group B, (reminder messages only) and Group C (reminder messages combined with health education). A preand post-measurement design is followed as each participant’s pill count and return date were measured before and after the reminder messages with/without health education were given. The sample size was 202 eligible patients receiving Regime 1 and 2 ART’s (Lamuvidine, Tenofovir, Efavirenz, Nevirapine, Alluvia® and Zidovudine) at a PHC facility in the North West, South Africa (N=202). The sample size was determined with guidance of statistical services to ensure that results obtained from the study would be reliable and significant. Data collection was done in three phases. Phase one (1) consisted of collecting the biographical data and a pre-measurement of pill count and return dates for participants in Groups A, B and C. Phase two (2) consisted of sending bi-weekly messages (Group B) via WinSMS and with health education (Group C) for three (3) months. Phase three (3) consisted of post-measurement of participants’ pill count and return date for Groups A,B and C. Data collection stretched over six months (October 2013-March 2014), namely three months pre-measurement, then activation of intervention combined with another three months post-measurement. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was conducted through SPSS (SPSS Inc., 2013). Descriptive statistics indicated that more female patients visited the PHC facility for ART on a more regular basis. It was concluded that the experimental group proved a slight increase in compliance with regards to return date after the SMS intervention. No difference was noted in compliance to pill counts. It can also be concluded that pill counts is a complex monitoring procedure with room for error from the patients’ aspect. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The background and problem statement focuses on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the use of mobile technology to improve compliance within a primary health care (PHC) context in South Africa. South Africa is one of the countries, globally, with the highest HIV incidence and prevalence and ART enrolled patients visiting PHC facilities. Compliance to ART plays an integral part in effective HIV/AIDS management. HIV/AIDS management entails a complex process of patient education and pharmacological control to improve ART compliance in South Africa. Studies were done in South Africa on reminder messages as most studies focused on chronic conditions in general. A literature review explored what is known about ART and mobile technology to improve compliance. Literature confirmed that compliance through reminder messages were done worldwide and in Sub-Saharan countries. Previous research indicated that the compliance rate of the patients increased through reminder messages. Yet there is a gap in the literature regarding reminder messages combined with health education on ART compliance. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of reminder messages combined with health education on ART compliance among patients receiving ART at a PHC facility Methodology: The study followed a quantitative, experimental, intervention, randomised multi-group, pre- and post measurement design (Creswell, 2012:1, Welman et al., 2012:80). The research design is experimental because the researcher applied an intervention (reminder messages) to two experimental groups. Random sampling was applied and participants were grouped into three groups: Group A, (control group), Group B, (reminder messages only) and Group C (reminder messages combined with health education). A preand post-measurement design is followed as each participant’s pill count and return date were measured before and after the reminder messages with/without health education were given. The sample size was 202 eligible patients receiving Regime 1 and 2 ART’s (Lamuvidine, Tenofovir, Efavirenz, Nevirapine, Alluvia® and Zidovudine) at a PHC facility in the North West, South Africa (N=202). The sample size was determined with guidance of statistical services to ensure that results obtained from the study would be reliable and significant. Data collection was done in three phases. Phase one (1) consisted of collecting the biographical data and a pre-measurement of pill count and return dates for participants in Groups A, B and C. Phase two (2) consisted of sending bi-weekly messages (Group B) via WinSMS and with health education (Group C) for three (3) months. Phase three (3) consisted of post-measurement of participants’ pill count and return date for Groups A,B and C. Data collection stretched over six months (October 2013-March 2014), namely three months pre-measurement, then activation of intervention combined with another three months post-measurement. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was conducted through SPSS (SPSS Inc., 2013). Descriptive statistics indicated that more female patients visited the PHC facility for ART on a more regular basis. It was concluded that the experimental group proved a slight increase in compliance with regards to return date after the SMS intervention. No difference was noted in compliance to pill counts. It can also be concluded that pill counts is a complex monitoring procedure with room for error from the patients’ aspect. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015