Interactive voice response technology to measure HIV-related behavior

Computerized telephone technology has garnered increasing interest as an assessment tool specifically for the collection of daily, near-contemporaneous self-reports of HIV risk behaviors. In this review, we discuss advantages and recent applications of interactive voice response technology (IVR) to HIV risk behavior research, including feasibility studies, assessment mode comparisons between IVR and alternative self-reporting methods, and unique findings derived from event-level data analyses illuminating risk factors for unprotected intercourse on within-person level. We also review reactivity effects of daily IVR self-reports and applications of IVR systems in risk behavior intervention research. We conclude that IVR is a feasible and highly promising tool for various research and health care applications that should be considered more frequently for use in HIV-risk populations.