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Groot Bruinderink ML, Boyd A, Coyer L, Boers S, Blitz L, Brand JM, Götz HM, Stip M, Woudstra J, Yap K, Vermey K, Matser A, Feddes AR, Jongen VW, Prins M, Hoornenborg E, van Harreveld F, Schim van der Loeff MF, Davidovich U. Online-Mediated HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Care and Reduced Monitoring Frequency for Men Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial (EZI-PrEP Study). JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e51023. [PMID: 37938875 PMCID: PMC10666015 DOI: 10.2196/51023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Daily and event-driven HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with oral tenofovir-emtricitabine is highly effective to prevent HIV in men who have sex with men (MSM). PrEP care generally consists of in-clinic monitoring every 3 months that includes PrEP dispensing, counseling, and screening for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, the optimal frequency for monitoring remains undetermined. Attending a clinic every 3 months for monitoring may be a barrier for PrEP. Online-mediated PrEP care and reduced frequency of monitoring may lower this barrier. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study is to establish the noninferiority of online PrEP care (vs in-clinic care) and monitoring every 6 months (vs every 3 months). The secondary objectives are to (1) examine differences between PrEP care modalities regarding incidences of STIs, HIV infection, and hepatitis C virus infection; retention in PrEP care; intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate concentration; and satisfaction, usability, and acceptability of PrEP care modalities; and (2) evaluate associations of these study outcomes with sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychological characteristics. METHODS This study is a 2×2 factorial, 4-arm, open-label, multi-center, randomized, controlled, noninferiority trial. The 4 arms are (1) in-clinic monitoring every 3 months, (2) in-clinic monitoring every 6 months, (3) online monitoring every 3 months, and (4) online monitoring every 6 months. The primary outcome is a condomless anal sex act with a casual partner not covered or insufficiently covered by PrEP (ie, "unprotected act") as a proxy for HIV infection risk. Eligible individuals are MSM, and transgender and gender diverse people aged ≥18 years who are eligible for PrEP care at 1 of 4 participating sexual health centers in the Netherlands. The required sample size is 442 participants, and the planned observation time is 24 months. All study participants will receive access to a smartphone app, which contains a diary. Participants are requested to complete the diary on a daily basis during the first 18 months of participation. Participants will complete questionnaires at baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Dried blood spots will be collected at 6 and 12 months for assessment of intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate concentration. Incidence rates of unprotected acts will be compared between the online and in-clinic arms, and between the 6-month and 3-month arms. Noninferiority will be concluded if the upper limit of the 2-sided 97.5% CI of the incidence rate ratio is <1.8. RESULTS The results of the main analysis are expected in 2024. CONCLUSIONS This trial will demonstrate whether online PrEP care and monitoring every 6 months is noninferior to standard PrEP care in terms of PrEP adherence. If noninferiority is established, these modalities may lower barriers for initiating and continuing PrEP use and potentially reduce the systemic burden for PrEP providers. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05093036; https://tinyurl.com/28b8ndvj. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/51023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marije L Groot Bruinderink
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anders Boyd
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- HIV Monitoring Foundation, Amsterdan, Netherlands
| | - Liza Coyer
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sophie Boers
- Department of Sexual Health, Public Health Service of Gelderland-Zuid, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Laura Blitz
- Department of Sexual Health, Public Health Service of Haaglanden, The Hague, Netherlands
| | - Jean-Marie Brand
- Department of Sexual Health, Public Health Service of Haaglanden, The Hague, Netherlands
| | - Hannelore M Götz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Stip
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joey Woudstra
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kenneth Yap
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Amy Matser
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Allard R Feddes
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Vita W Jongen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- HIV Monitoring Foundation, Amsterdan, Netherlands
| | - Maria Prins
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Elske Hoornenborg
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frenk van Harreveld
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Maarten F Schim van der Loeff
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection & Immunity, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Udi Davidovich
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Haberer JE, Mujugira A, Mayer KH. The future of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence: reducing barriers and increasing opportunities. Lancet HIV 2023:S2352-3018(23)00079-6. [PMID: 37178710 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(23)00079-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The effectiveness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) hinges on adherence, which has been restricted by multifaceted barriers. Uptake of PrEP has been impeded by poor access resulting from high costs, provider uncertainty, discrimination, stigma, and poor understanding within the health-care community and the public of who can benefit from PrEP. Other important barriers to adherence and persistence over time relate to individuals (eg, depression) and their community, partners, and family (eg, poor support), and their effects vary substantially with each person, population, and setting. Despite these challenges, key opportunities for improving PrEP adherence exist, including novel delivery systems, tailored individual interventions, mobile health and digital health interventions, and long-acting formulations. Objective monitoring strategies will help to improve adherence interventions and alignment of PrEP use with the need for HIV prevention (ie, prevention-effective adherence). The future of PrEP adherence lies in person-centred approaches to service delivery that meet the needs of individuals while creating supportive environments and facilitating health-care access and delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Haberer
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Andrew Mujugira
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kenneth H Mayer
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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Kohler S, Dalal S, Hettema A, Matse S, Bärnighausen T, Paul N. Human resource needs and costs for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis provision in nurse-led primary care in Eswatini and opportunities for task sharing. HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH 2022; 20:75. [PMID: 36274118 PMCID: PMC9590230 DOI: 10.1186/s12960-022-00770-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The global expansion of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) includes health systems that face a shortage of skilled health care workers (HCWs). We estimated the human resource needs and costs for providing PrEP in nurse-led primary care clinics in Eswatini. Furthermore, we assessed potential cost savings from task sharing between nurses and other HCW cadres. METHODS We conducted a time-and-motion and costing study in a PrEP demonstration project between August 2017 and January 2019. A form for recording time and performed activities ("motion") was filled by HCWs of six primary care clinics. To estimate the human resource needs for specific PrEP activities, we allocated recorded times to performed PrEP activities using linear regression with and without adjusting for a workflow interruption, that is, if a client was seen by different HCWs or by the same HCW at different times. We assessed a base case in which a nurse provides all PrEP activities and five task shifting scenarios, of which four include workflow interruptions due to task sharing between different HCW cadres. RESULTS On average, PrEP initiation required 29 min (95% CI 25-32) of HCW time and PrEP follow-up 16 min (95% CI 14-18). The HCW time cost $4.55 (uncertainty interval [UI] 1.52-9.69) for PrEP initiation and $2.54 (UI 1.07-4.64) for PrEP follow-up when all activities were performed by a nurse. Time costs were $2.30-4.25 (UI 0.62-9.19) for PrEP initiation and $1.06-2.60 (UI 0.30-5.44) for PrEP follow-up when nurses shared tasks with HCWs from lower cadres. Interruptions of the workflow added, on average, 3.4 min (95% CI 0.69-6.0) to the time HCWs needed for a given number of PrEP activities. The cost of an interrupted workflow was estimated at $0.048-0.87 (UI 0.0098-1.63) depending on whose time need increased. CONCLUSIONS A global shortage of skilled HCWs could slow the expansion of PrEP. Task shifting to lower-cadre HCW in nurse-led PrEP provision can free up nurse time and reduce the cost of PrEP provision even if interruptions associated with task sharing increase the overall human resource need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kohler
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Shona Dalal
- Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Sindy Matse
- Eswatini Ministry of Health, Mbabane, Eswatini
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicolas Paul
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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