Selected Publications

Highlights

Logie C, Okumu M, Hakiza R, Kibuuka Musoke D, Berry I, Mwima S, Kyambadde P, Kiera UM, Loutet M, Neema S, Newby K, McNamee C, Baral SD, Lester R, Musinguzi J, Mbuagbaw L. Mobile Health-Supported HIV Self-Testing Strategy Among Urban Refugee and Displaced Youth in Kampala, Uganda: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial (Tushirikiane, Supporting Each Other). JMIR Res Protoc. 2021 Feb 2;10(2):e26192. doi: 10.2196/26192. PMID: 33528378; PMCID: PMC7886618.

Jongbloed K, Pearce ME, Thomas V, Sharma R, Pooyak S, Demerais L, Lester RT, Schechter MT, Spittal PM; Cedar Project Partnership. The Cedar Project – Mobile Phone Use and Acceptability of Mobile Health Among Young Indigenous People Who Have Used Drugs in British Columbia, Canada: Mixed Methods Exploratory Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2020 Jul 27;8(7):e16783. doi: 10.2196/16783. PMID: 32716311; PMCID: PMC7427984.

Mills EJ, Lester RT. Mobile phone-enabled adherence in HIV/AIDS. Lancet Digit Health. 2019 May;1(1):e4-e5. doi: 10.1016/S2589-7500(19)30008-1. Epub 2019 May 2. PMID: 33323240.

Lester R, Park JJ, Bolten LM, Enjetti A, Johnston JC, Schwartzman K, Tilahun B, Delft AV. Mobile phone short message service for adherence support and care of patients with tuberculosis infection: Evidence and opportunity. J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis. 2019 Jun 6;16:100108. doi: 10.1016/j.jctube.2019.100108. PMID: 31720432; PMCID: PMC6830136.

Lester RT. Digital health to support early infant diagnosis of HIV. Lancet HIV. 2018 Dec;5(12):e673-e674. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3018(18)30266-2. Epub 2018 Oct 8. PMID: 30309786.

Bardosh KL, Murray M, Khaemba AM, Smillie K, Lester R. Operationalizing mHealth to improve patient care: a qualitative implementation science evaluation of the WelTel texting intervention in Canada and Kenya. Global Health. 2017 Dec 6;13(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s12992-017-0311-z. PMID: 29208026; PMCID: PMC5717811.

Lester, R. T. (2013). Ask, Don’t Tell—Mobile Phones to Improve HIV Care. New England Journal of Medicine, 369(19), 1867-1868.

Lester RT, Ritvo P, Mills EJ, Kariri A, Karanja S, Chung MH, Jack W, Habyarimana J, Sadatsafavi M, Najafzadeh M, Marra CA, Estambale B, Ngugi E, Ball TB, Thabane L, Gelmon LJ, Kimani J, Ackers M, Plummer FA. Effects of a mobile phone short message service on antiretroviral treatment adherence in Kenya (WelTel Kenya1): a randomised trial. Lancet. 2010 Nov 27;376(9755):1838-45. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61997-6. Epub 2010 Nov 9. PMID: 21071074.

2020

Nachega JB, Leisegang R, Kallay O, Mills EJ, Zumla A, Lester RT. Mobile Health Technology for Enhancing the COVID-19 Response in Africa: A Potential Game Changer? Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Jul;103(1):3-5. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0506. Epub 2020 May 29. PMID: 32476643; PMCID: PMC7356462.

Gashu KD, Gelaye KA, Mekonnen ZA, Lester R, Tilahun B. Does phone messaging improves tuberculosis treatment success? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Jan 14;20(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-4765-x. PMID: 31937260; PMCID: PMC6961375.

Park JJH, Harari O, Dron L, Lester RT, Thorlund K, Mills EJ. An overview of platform trials with a checklist for clinical readers. J Clin Epidemiol. 2020 Sep;125:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.04.025. Epub 2020 May 13. PMID: 32416336.

Park JJH, Harari O, Siden E, Zoratti M, Dron L, Zannat NE, Lester RT, Thorlund K, Mills EJ. Interventions to improve birth outcomes of pregnant women living in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Gates Open Res. 2020 Sep 24;3:1657. doi: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13081.2. PMID: 33134854; PMCID: PMC7520556.

2019

Park JJH, Siden E, Zoratti MJ, Dron L, Harari O, Singer J, Lester RT, Thorlund K, Mills EJ. Systematic review of basket trials, umbrella trials, and platform trials: a landscape analysis of master protocols. Trials. 2019 Sep 18;20(1):572. doi: 10.1186/s13063-019-3664-1. PMID: 31533793; PMCID: PMC6751792.

Liu AY, Vittinghoff E, von Felten P, Rivet Amico K, Anderson PL, Lester R, Andrew E, Estes I, Serrano P, Brothers J, Buchbinder S, Hosek S, Fuchs JD. Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mobile Health Intervention to Promote Retention and Adherence to Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Young People at Risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus: The EPIC Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 May 30;68(12):2010-2017. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy810. PMID: 30239620; PMCID: PMC6541706.

Gashu KD, Gelaye KA, Lester R, Tilahun B. Combined effect of pill refilling and self-medication reminder system on patients’ adherence to tuberculosis treatment during continuation phase in Northwest Ethiopia: a study protocol for randomised controlled trial. BMJ Health Care Inform. 2019 Aug;26(1):e100050. doi: 10.1136/bmjhci-2019-100050. PMID: 31484661; PMCID: PMC7062340.

2018

Johnston JC, van der Kop ML, Smillie K, Ogilvie G, Marra F, Sadatsafavi M, Romanowski K, Budd MA, Hajek J, Cook V, Lester RT. The effect of text messaging on latent tuberculosis treatment adherence: a randomised controlled trial. Eur Respir J. 2018 Feb 7;51(2):1701488. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01488-2017. PMID: 29437940.

Chiang N, Guo M, Amico KR, Atkins L, Lester RT. Interactive Two-Way mHealth Interventions for Improving Medication Adherence: An Evaluation Using The Behaviour Change Wheel Framework. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018 Apr 12;6(4):e87. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.9187. PMID: 29650504; PMCID: PMC5920150.

Poureslami I PhD, Shum J MSc, Lester RT MD, Tavakoli H MD, MSc, Dorscheid DR MD, PhD, FitzGerald JM MD. A pilot randomized controlled trial on the impact of text messaging check-ins and a web-based asthma action plan versus a written action plan on asthma exacerbations. J Asthma. 2018 Oct 16:1-13. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2018.1500583. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 30003851.

Campbell AR, Kinvig K, Côté HC, Lester RT, Qiu AQ, Maan EJ, Alimenti A, Pick N, Murray MC. Health Care Provider Utilization and Cost of an mHealth Intervention in Vulnerable People Living With HIV in Vancouver, Canada: Prospective Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018 Jul 9;6(7):e152. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.9493. PMID: 29986845; PMCID: PMC6056738.

Endehabtu B, Weldeab A, Were M, Lester R, Worku A, Tilahun B. Mobile Phone Access and Willingness Among Mothers to Receive a Text-Based mHealth Intervention to Improve Prenatal Care in Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2018 Oct 17;1(2):e9. doi: 10.2196/pediatrics.9618. PMID: 31518334; PMCID: PMC6715064.

Endehabtu B, Weldeab A, Were M, Lester R, Worku A, Tilahun B. Mobile Phone Access and Willingness Among Mothers to Receive a Text-Based mHealth Intervention to Improve Prenatal Care in Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2018 Oct 17;1(2):e9. doi: 10.2196/pediatrics.9618. PMID: 31518334; PMCID: PMC6715064.

2017

King, E., Kinvig, K., Steif, J., Qiu, A. Q., Maan, E. J., Albert, A. Y., … & Lester, R. T. (2017). Mobile Text Messaging to Improve Medication Adherence and Viral Load in a Vulnerable Canadian Population Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Repeated Measures Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research19(6), e190.

Kazi, A.M., Carmichael, J.L., Hapanna, G.W., Wangoo, P.G., Karanja, S., Wanyama, D., Muhula, S.O., Kyomuhangi, L.B., Loolpapit, M., Wangalwa, G.B., Kinagwi, K., Lester, R.T. (2017). Assessing Mobile Phone Access and Perceptions for Texting-Based mHealth Interventions Among Expectant Mothers and Child Caregivers in Remote Regions of Northern Kenya: A Survey-Based Descriptive Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill, 30(3).

Patel, A.R., Kessler, J., Braithwaite, R.S., Nucifora, K.A., Thirumurthy, H., Zhou, Q., Lester, R.T., Marra, C.A. (2017). Economic evaluation of mobile phone text message interventions to improve adherence to HIV therapy in Kenya. Medicine, 96(7).

2016

Nachega, J.B., Skinner, D., Jennings, L., Magidson, J.F., Altice, F.L., Burke, J.G., Lester, R.T., Uthman, O.A., Knowlton, A.R., Cotton, M.F., Anderson, J.R., Theron, G.B. (2016). Acceptability and feasibility of mHealth and community-based directly observed antiretroviral therapy to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in South African pregnant women under Option B+: an exploratory study. Patient Prefer Adherence, 10,683-90.

Jongbloed, K., Friedman, A. J., Pearce, M. E., Van Der Kop, M. L., Thomas, V., Demerais, L., … & Spittal, P. M. (2016). The Cedar Project WelTel mHealth intervention for HIV prevention in young Indigenous people who use illicit drugs: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 17(1), 1.

van der Kop, M.L., Thabane, L., Awiti, P.O., Muhula, S., Kyomuhangi, L.B., Lester, R.T., Ekström, A.M. (2016). Advanced HIV disease at presentation to care in Nairobi, Kenya: late diagnosis or delayed linkage to care?—a cross-sectional study. BM Infectious Disease.

van der Kop, M.L., Muhula, S., Ekström, A.M., Jongbloed, K., Smillie, K., Abunah, B., Kinagwi, K., Kyomuhangi, L.B., Gelmon, L., Ojakaa, D., Lester, R.T., Awiti, P.O. (2016). Participation in a mobile health intervention trial to improve retention in HIV care: does gender matter? Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.