Feasibility of remote self-collection of dried blood spots, hair, and nails among people with HIV with hazardous alcohol use.
Alcohol (Hanover)
; 47(5): 986-995, 2023 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2259233
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The use of biomarkers in behavioral HIV research can help to address limitations of self-reported data. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many researchers to transition from standard in-person data collection to remote data collection. We present data on the feasibility of remote self-collection of dried blood spots (DBS), hair, and nails for the objective assessment of alcohol use, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and stress in a sample of people with HIV (PWH) who are hazardous drinkers.METHODS:
Standardized operating procedures for remote self-collection of DBS, hair, and nails were developed for an ongoing pilot study of a transdiagnostic alcohol intervention for PWH. Prior to each study appointment, participants were mailed a kit containing materials for self-collection, instructions, a video link demonstrating the collection process, and a prepaid envelope for returning samples.RESULTS:
A total of 133 remote study visits were completed. For DBS and nail collection at baseline, 87.5% and 83.3% of samples, respectively, were received by the research laboratory, of which 100% of samples were processed. Although hair samples were intended to be analyzed, most of the samples (77.7%) were insufficient or the scalp end of the hair was not marked. We, therefore, decided that hair collection was not feasible in the framework of this study.CONCLUSION:
An increase in remote self-collection of biospecimens may significantly advance the field of HIV-related research, permitting the collection of specimens without resource-intensive laboratory personnel and facilities. Further research is needed on the factors that impeded participants' ability to complete remote biospecimen collection.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
English
Journal:
Alcohol (Hanover)
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Acer.15063
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