Staged Low-Barrier and Mobile Care to Improve Retention and Viral Suppression in Hard-To-Reach Vulnerable People Living With HIV

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a flexible, multidisciplinary, integrated drop-in/mobile HIV care approach for people living with HIV (PLH) who are not well engaged in current care systems (i.e. scheduled HIV primary care visits). The hybrid type 2 implementation-effectiveness study involves a set of implementation strategies to support implementation of the integrated drop-in/mobile HIV care approach (i.e. the evidence-informed clinical intervention) at four diverse sites in San Francisco and Alameda counties in California. Sites include an academic clinic located at a public hospital (Ward 86) and a needle exchange site (San Francisco AIDS Foundation Syringe Access Site) in San Francisco and two Federally Qualified Health Centers serving diverse patient populations in Alameda County (Trust and La Clínica). The evidence-informed clinical intervention consists of four key components: 1) active referral to care sites; 2) drop-in, multidisciplinary HIV primary care; 3) mobile HIV care; and 4) staged escalation/de-escalation of care level as needed. The study will use RE-AIM to guide evaluation, with coprimary outcomes of Reach and HIV viral suppression, and mixed methods to assess intervention Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. The study draws on the CFIR framework to assess site-specific implementation determinants before and after the study period. The study will undertake micro-costing using a uniform cost data collection protocol to quantify the resources needed to carry out intervention activities.

Description

Eligibility

Age range

15+ years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Other
  Active Referral

  As an implementation science study, all clinical intervention components will be delivered as part of routine clinical care at participating clinical sites. Clinicians and staff at referral sites throughout San Francisco and Alameda counties (emergency departments, psychiatric emergency services, community clinics, care navigation and case management programs, and community-based services) will refer eligible patients who are out of care and are interested in linking to drop-in and/or mobile care services at one of the study sites. Clinical referrals will include basic patient information and contact/locator information to facilitate linkage to care. Referrals will be site-specific based on the site where the patient is interested in accessing care.

• Other
  Drop-In Multidisciplinary HIV Care

  Each site will independently implement a drop-in multidisciplinary site-based HIV care model. Core intervention features include drop-in care (no appointments), panel management to review clinical progress for all referred patients, and case management. Each site may include adaptations to the care model determined during Aim 1 formative work.

• Other
  Mobile HIV Care

  Each site will independently implement a mobile care model using site-specific resources. At a minimum, the mobile care team will include a clinical nurse with telemedicine (video visit) consultation with a clinician (MD/NP/PA). Mobile teams will also administer medications (including long-acting ART when available) and collect laboratory specimens (e.g. HIV viral loads)

• Other
  Staged Care

Locations (5)