Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an important predictor of long-term treatment success and is associated with optimal individual and public health outcomes. Novel technologies, such as electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) or pharmacokinetic testing, provide more objective measures of ART adherence than traditional measures of adherence (e.g., self-report) and may facilitate improved adherence through the provision of patient feedback. This study examines preferences for ART adherence monitoring among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kazakhstan. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 HIV-positive PWID, 18 of their intimate partners, and 7 AIDS Center healthcare providers in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Results indicated that patients varied in their preferences of which strategies would be most effective and acceptable to use in monitoring their adherence. Overall, patients were highly enthusiastic about the potential use of pharmacokinetic testing. Many participants supported the use of EMDs, though some were concerned about having their adherence tracked. Other participants thought reminders through text messaging or smart phone applications would be helpful, though several had concerns about confidentiality and others worried about technological difficulties operating a smart phone. Future studies should evaluate the feasibility and impact of providing quantitative drug levels as feedback for ART adherence using biomarkers of longer-term ART exposure, (i.e., hair sampling or dried blood spot testing).
Keywords: Antiretroviral therapy adherence; Drug monitoring; Kazakhstan; People who inject drugs.