Promoting HIV, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Screening Among Migrants With a Language Barrier: Protocol for the Development and Evaluation of an Electronic App (Apidé)

BACKGROUND: Late diagnoses of HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are important public health problems that affect the population at large and migrants in particular. Missed opportunities of HIV and hepatitis screening are numerous, with language differences being a significant barrier to testing. Several studies have shown that migrants who do not speak the language of the health provider are less likely to get tested, due to health providers’ reluctance to offer a test and to migrants’ reluctance to accept testing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to develop a multilingual electronic tool (app) that assists health providers in offering and explaining HIV and hepatitis screenings to migrants with a language barrier and to evaluate its acceptability and impact in terms of public health. METHODS: The study will go through 3 stages: (1) concept development, (2) app development, and (3) app evaluation. A qualitative study has been undertaken to explore language barriers during health care encounters and their effect on communication, specifically when a screening test is offered. In parallel, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to have a comprehensive overlook of electronic tools designed to help health care providers communicate with migrants with a language barrier. To generate a list of items to be translated for inclusion in the app, we will conduct a focus group and Delphi survey. The development of the app will include translation and voice recording of items. The electronic development will also include 3 steps of user testing. The acceptability of the app will be evaluated using the System Usability Scale. Evaluation of the app’s efficacy will consist of a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial. The study will be carried out in 16 centers that treat migrants and offer them screening tests for infectious diseases. The primary outcome is the percentage of screening tests realized. The secondary outcomes are the rate of screening proposal by health professionals, acceptance rate by migrants, number of positive cases using this app, and frequency of use of the app. RESULTS: The app evaluation study received a 3-year grant from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche contre le SIDA et les hépatites virales (ANRS) and from the Office Français de l’Immigration et Intégration (OFII). At the time of publication of this protocol, the initial qualitative study and systematic literature review were completed. CONCLUSIONS: This study will develop an app that assists health providers in offering and explaining HIV and hepatitis screenings to migrants with a language barrier and measure its acceptability and effectiveness in terms of public health. When completed, this app could be distributed to numerous professionals carrying out screening with migrant populations in various health care settings. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/22239