The HMP Next Gen digital health platform: accelerating research implementation, amplifying public health impact

ABSTRACT Comprehensive evidence-based, multi-component interventions are needed to address risk reduction and self- management across the HIV care continuum. Interventions targeting traditional HIV risk behaviors without addressing contextual issues like access to care, mental health, and stigma are likely to worsen differences in HIV incidence and perpetuate ongoing health challenges. Digital Health Interventions (DHIs) are well-suited to address these challenges given the ubiquity of highly personal mobile technology, however, DHI creators face major barriers when creating, managing, disseminating, and scaling evidence-based tailored interventions. Recent advances in data science present a significant opportunity to create resources that accelerate and improve the process of developing DHIs and enable intervention developers to better address various real-world needs and deliver health-promoting activities across vulnerable populations. Our team has been at the forefront of designing stand-alone DHIs that have shown promise for impacting distinct HIV continuum outcomes. Our DHI platform, HealthMpowerment (HMP), was built upon years of prior human- centered design and rigorous clinical trials research and has demonstrated significant reductions in HIV transmission risk behaviors, increased engagement in HIV care and decreases in perceived HIV stigma. However, to be most impactful, HMP requires optimization and modernization to further improve its reach and to better meet the needs of the research community and potential end-users. This Phase II project proposes to build on the prior funded work and develop a unified study management platform to aid researchers to efficiently develop and deploy behavior change interventions and effectively manage participants throughout the duration of their trial engagement. We have assembled a team with expertise in digital user experience, software development, and behavioral science with a strong focus on intervention research related to HIV prevention. Leveraging this expertise, our proposal aims to refine and evaluate HMP Next Gen, a comprehensive, evidence-based digital health solution poised to expedite culturally meaningful research to promote fair access to health resources. In Aim 1, using human centered design, and working iteratively with expert stakeholders, we will streamline and expedite platform deployment by automating the process through the development of researcher facing tools. This includes transition to a cloud-based server, and development of a robust content management system and self-service portal for research project deployment. In Aim 2, we will modernize and expand capabilities of HMP to facilitate study implementation, including participant management, administration workflow and the ability to capture and respond to real-time analytics. In Aim 3, we will evaluate the impact of newly created tools on study deployment and implementation. If successful, HMP Next Gen will reduce research costs and management burden, by expediting study start-up and implementation with a goal of improving health outcomes.