Assessing the Role of Digital Reminders in Enhancing Retention in Care Among Newly Diagnosed HIV Patients in Low-Resource Settings 

Mwende Muthoni D.

Faculty of Medicine Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT

Retention in HIV care is a critical determinant of successful treatment outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings where structural, socioeconomic, and psychosocial barriers often impede sustained engagement. This review examined the role of digital reminders delivered through SMS, voice calls, or mobile applications in enhancing retention among newly diagnosed HIV patients in such contexts. Utilizing a structured narrative synthesis of findings from randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and implementation research, the article explored the effectiveness, acceptability, and integration of digital reminders within health systems. Evidence suggests that digital reminders significantly improve appointment adherence, medication uptake, and engagement with health services by acting as cognitive prompts, enhancing motivation, and fostering patient accountability. Acceptability is generally high; however, concerns regarding confidentiality, cultural relevance, and message delivery modalities must be addressed to optimize impact. Integration with electronic health records and task shifting to community health workers have shown promise in improving sustainability and scalability. Despite technological and ethical challenges including digital literacy gaps, infrastructure limitations, and data privacy concerns digital reminders remain a low-cost, scalable intervention with transformative potential. The findings underscore the need for context-sensitive implementation and health system integration to fully realize the benefits of digital health tools in improving HIV care retention in underserved populations.

Keywords: Digital Health Interventions, HIV Care Retention, Low-Resource Settings, Mobile Health (mHealth), Newly Diagnosed HIV Patients.

CITE AS: Mwende Muthoni D. (2025). Assessing the Role of Digital Reminders in Enhancing Retention in Care Among Newly Diagnosed HIV Patients in Low-Resource Settings. Research Output Journal of Public Health and Medicine 5(3):97-101. https://doi.org/10.59298/ROJPHM/2025/5397101