Research Appraisalobservational

Digital Monitoring of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Users Through Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Electronic Patient-Reported Experience Measures: Multicenter Prospective Study on Feasibility, Safety, and Predictive Modeling of Digital Engagement

Journal of medical Internet researchMercadal-Orfila, Gabriel, Serrano, Joaquín Ignacio, Mijares, Tilman et al.13 Apr 2026DOI

Clinical Snapshot

75CEBM
Evidence: Moderateobservational

PICO Framework

P — PopulationHIV-negative adults at high risk of HIV infection receiving PrEP (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 245mg plus emtricitabine 200mg)
I — InterventionDigital monitoring using Naveta-Phemium platform with ePROMs/ePREMs (HADS, PROMIS-29, TSQM, PCCCQ)
C — ComparatorNo comparator group (single-arm observational study)
O — OutcomesFeasibility of digital platform, safety parameters, HRQoL, treatment satisfaction, and digital engagement patterns

Bottom Line

This Spanish prospective cohort study (n=81) demonstrates the feasibility of digital monitoring for PrEP users through validated electronic patient-reported measures over a mean 689-day follow-up. The Naveta platform achieved high treatment satisfaction scores (85-87) and stable safety parameters, with no moderate or severe adverse events reported. Machine learning models showed good discrimination (AUC ≈0.82) in predicting digital engagement patterns. While the study supports the potential for telemedicine-based PrEP care, limitations include the single-arm design, small sample size, and unclear generalizability. The findings are relevant to Australian practice given PBS-listed PrEP and growing digital health adoption, but local validation studies would strengthen implementation confidence. The approach may particularly benefit rural and remote Australian populations with limited specialist access.

Evidence: Moderate

Key Findings

  • P Value: P=0.498 for renal function stability

  • Effect Size: Machine learning model discrimination AUC ≈0.82 for engagement prediction

  • Primary Outcome: Digital platform feasibility with high treatment satisfaction (TSQM ≈85-87) and stable telemedicine satisfaction (8/10)

  • Nnt Or Sensitivity: 68.9% experienced mild GI symptoms, 57.8% neurological symptoms

  • Confidence Interval: Not reported for primary outcomes

Clinical Application

Requires robust digital infrastructure and patient digital literacy Relevant to Australian PrEP programs under PBS listing, aligns with TGA-approved tenofovir/emtricitabine formulations, supports RACGP digital health initiatives HIV-negative adults at high risk requiring PrEP with access to digital health platforms

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Digital health tools integrating electronic patient-reported outcome and experience measures (ePROMs/ePREMs) enable longitudinal monitoring of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological well-being, and treatment satisfaction in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users. However, determinants of sustained engagement with digital follow-up platforms remain insufficiently characterized. OBJECTIVE: To describe the feasibility of the Naveta-Phemium digital platform for longitudinal monitoring of safety, HRQoL, and treatment satisfaction among PrEP users, and to develop and internally validate a machine learning framework to characterize and predict engagement with digital follow-up. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted using the Naveta digital follow-up platform. HIV-negative adults at high risk of HIV infection received tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (245 mg) plus emtricitabine (200 mg). Clinical safety, HRQoL, and satisfaction were assessed using laboratory parameters and validated ePROMs/ePREMs (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Profile-29, Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, and Person-Centered Coordinated Care Experience Questionnaire). Engagement was defined at the questionnaire level and analyzed using the ALGOPROMIA-Classification framework with repeated stratified cross-validation. Model explainability was assessed using permutation-based Shapley Additive Explanations. RESULTS: A total of 81 participants contributed repeated questionnaire-level observations (mean PrEP duration 689 d). PrEP was well tolerated, with no moderate or severe adverse events; mild transient symptoms were mainly gastrointestinal (31/45, 68.9%) and neurological (26/45, 57.8%). Renal function remained stable (creatinine: 0.86 [SD 0.13] mg/dL; estimated glomerular filtration rate: P=.498). Psychological well-being and HRQoL remained stable (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale<7; Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Profile-29 near population norms). Treatment satisfaction was consistently high (Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication≈85-87), and satisfaction with the NAVETA telemedicine model remained stable (8/10). Engagement showed clear sociodemographic and behavioral gradients. Ensemble-based machine learning models achieved good discrimination in predicting engagement (area under the curve≈0.82) across ≈12,300 questionnaire-level observations. Random forest was retained for robustness and consistency. Shapley Additive Explanations analysis highlighted lifestyle-related variables as the most influential predictors, with heterogeneous individual-level effects. CONCLUSIONS: Naveta enabled feasible telemedicine-based PrEP follow-up with preserved HRQoL, high satisfaction, and stable safety. Combining longitudinal ePROMs/ePREMs with explainable machine learning allowed detailed characterization of digital engagement, supporting digitally supported PrEP care optimization and informing future comparative and cost-effectiveness studies.

References

  1. 1.Mercadal-Orfila, G., Serrano, J. I., Mijares, T., Vidal, L., Curran, A., & Herrera-Pérez, S. (2026). Digital monitoring of pre-exposure prophylaxis users through electronic patient-reported outcome measures and electronic patient-reported experience measures: Multicenter prospective study on feasibility, safety, and predictive modeling of digital engagement. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 28(4), e87592. https://doi.org/10.2196/87592
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