The Boundary of HIV Care: Barriers and Facilitators to Care Engagement Among People with HIV in the United States

Clinic-level complexities prevent effective engagement of people living with HIV who are out-of-care

Approximately half of people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States are not retained in HIV care. Although numerous studies have identified individual-level barriers to care (i.e., substance abuse, mental health, housing, transportation challenges), less is known about institutional-level barriers. We aimed to identify clinic-level barriers to HIV care and strategies to address them to better engage PLWH who have been out of care (PLWH-OOC). As part of a larger qualitative study in a Ryan White-funded HIV Clinic in Atlanta, which aimed to understand the acceptance and feasibility of community-based HIV care models to better reach PLWH-OOC, we explored barriers and facilitators of HIV care engagement. From October 2022-March 2023, 18 in-depth-interviews were conducted with HIV-care providers, administrators, social workers, and members of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) comprised of PLWH-OOC. Transcripts were coded by trained team members using a consensus approach. Several clinic-level barriers emerged: 1) the large burden placed on patients to provide proof of eligibility to receive Ryan White Program services, 2) inflexibility of provider clinic schedules, 3) inadequate processes to identify patients at risk of disengaging from care, 4) poorly-resourced hospital-to-clinic transitions, 5) inadequate systems to address primary care needs outside of HIV care, and 6) HIV stigma among medical professionals. Strategies to address these barriers included: 1) colocation of HIV and non-HIV services, 2) community-based care options that do not require patients to navigate complex transportation systems, 3) hospital and community-based peer navigation services, 4) dedicated staffing to identify and support PLWH-OOC, and 5) enhanced systems support to help patients collect the high burden of documentation required to receive subsidized HIV care. Several systems-level HIV care barriers exist and intersect with individual and community-level barriers to disproportionately affect HIV care engagement among PLWH-OOC. Findings suggest several strategies that should be considered to reach the remaining 50% of PLWH who remain out-of-care.

Cancer Treatment Disparities in People With HIV in the United States, 2001-2019

PURPOSE

People with HIV (PWH) have worse cancer outcomes, partially because of inequities in cancer treatment. We evaluated cancer treatment disparities among PWH, including an assessment of changes in disparities over time.

METHODS

We used data from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, a population-based HIV and cancer registry linkage to examine diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and cancers of the cervix, lung, anus, prostate, colon, and female breast. Outcomes included receipt of (1) any cancer treatment and (2) standard therapy among patients with local-stage cancer. We assessed associations between HIV and each outcome by estimating adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aORs) with 95% CI and trends over time. We identified predictors of nonreceipt of cancer treatment in PWH.

RESULTS

From 2001 to 2019, compared with people with cancer without HIV (n = 2,880,955), PWH (n = 16,334) were more likely to not receive cancer treatment for cervical cancer (aOR, 2.03 [95% CI, 1.52 to 2.70]), DLBCL (aOR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.38 to 1.70]), HL (aOR, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.19 to 1.63]), lung cancer (aOR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.65 to 1.93]), prostate cancer (aOR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.21 to 1.44]), colon cancer (aOR, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.43 to 2.08]), and breast cancer (aOR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.07 to 1.77]). Similar associations were observed in PWH with local-stage cancers although no difference was observed for anal cancers. The association between HIV and nonreceipt of cancer treatment significantly decreased over time for breast, colon, and prostate cancers (all P trend <.0001), but PWH remained less likely to receive treatment in 2014-2019 for DLBCL, cervix, and lung cancers. Among PWH, Black individuals, people who inject drugs, and those 65 years and older were less likely to receive cancer treatment.

CONCLUSION

Disparities in receipt of cancer treatment persist for PWH in the United States in contemporary time periods. Solutions to address inequitable receipt of cancer treatment among PWH are urgently needed.

An exploratory study of community violence and HIV care engagement among Black gay and bisexual men

This study examined the relationship between exposure to community violence and HIV care engagement among 107 Black gay or bisexual men living with HIV in Chicago. Measures assessed the importance of demographic covariates (age, annual income, health insurance status, and years living with HIV), community violence exposures, mental health, social support, in explaining variations in missed doses of antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication and missed HIV care appointments. Results showed that participants who reported higher rates of exposure to community violence were two times more likely to have missed ART doses and HIV care appointments. Participants who reported depression scores were two times more likely to have greater non-ART adherence. Finally, older participants were more likely to report fewer missed ART doses. More research is needed to clarify the mechanisms between age or depression and ART adherence given community violence exposure. Health care providers should screen for depression when attempting to promote better ART adherence and keeping HIV care appointments for Black gay and bisexual men living with HIV. Younger Black gay and bisexual men living with HIV may be more vulnerable than older men for missed ART doses and may require additional screening and follow-up.

AIDSVu Cities' Progress Toward HIV Care Continuum Goals: Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Public health surveillance data are critical to understanding the current state of the HIV and AIDS epidemics. Surveillance data provide significant insight into patterns within and progress toward achieving targets for each of the steps in the HIV care continuum. Such targets include those outlined in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) goals. If these data are disseminated, they can be used to prioritize certain steps in the continuum, geographic locations, and groups of people.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to develop and report indicators of progress toward the NHAS goals for US cities and to characterize progress toward those goals with categorical metrics.

METHODS

Health departments used standardized SAS code to calculate care continuum indicators from their HIV surveillance data to ensure comparability across jurisdictions. We report 2018 descriptive statistics for continuum steps (timely diagnosis, linkage to medical care, receipt of medical care, and HIV viral load suppression) for 36 US cities and their progress toward 2020 NHAS goals as of 2018. Indicators are reported categorically as met or surpassed the goal, within 25% of attaining the goal, or further than 25% from achieving the goal.

RESULTS

Cities were closest to meeting NHAS goals for timely diagnosis compared to the goals for linkage to care, receipt of care, and viral load suppression, with all cities (n=36, 100%) within 25% of meeting the goal for timely diagnosis. Only 8% (n=3) of cities were >25% from achieving the goal for receipt of care, but 69% (n=25) of cities were >25% from achieving the goal for viral suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

Display of progress with graphical indicators enables communication of progress to stakeholders. AIDSVu analyses of HIV surveillance data facilitate cities' ability to benchmark their progress against that of other cities with similar characteristics. By identifying peer cities (eg, cities with analogous populations or similar NHAS goal concerns), the public display of indicators can promote dialogue between cities with comparable challenges and opportunities.

Unmet Needs for Ancillary Services and Associations with Clinical Outcomes Among Transgender Women with Diagnosed HIV: Medical Monitoring Project, United States, 2015-2020

Purpose: Access to ancillary services-including HIV support services, non-HIV clinical services, and subsistence services-can support care engagement and viral suppression and reduce disparities among people with HIV (PWH). We used representative U.S. data to assess differences in unmet needs for ancillary services between transgender women with HIV and other PWH. In addition, we examined associations between unmet needs and clinical outcomes among transgender women. Methods: We analyzed 2015-2020 Medical Monitoring Project data among transgender women (N = 362), cisgender men (N = 17,319), and cisgender women (N = 6016) with HIV. We reported weighted percentages for characteristics, and reported adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) controlling for race/ethnicity and age, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression with predicted marginal means to assess differences between groups. Results: Among transgender women, unmet needs were highest for dental care (24.9%), shelter or housing (13.9%), and transportation assistance (12.6%). Transgender women were more likely than cisgender men to have unmet subsistence needs. Among transgender women, unmet needs for ancillary services were negatively associated with many clinical outcomes after adjusting for age and race/ethnicity. Unmet needs for subsistence services were associated with higher levels of antiretroviral therapy nonadherence (aPR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13-1.70) and detectable viral loads (aPR: 1.47; 1.09-1.98), emergency room visits (aPR: 1.42; 1.06-1.90), and depression (aPR: 2.74; 1.83-4.10) or anxiety (aPR: 3.20; 2.05-5.00) symptoms. Conclusions: Transgender women with HIV were more likely than cisgender men with HIV to experience unmet needs for subsistence services-likely a reflection of substantial socioeconomic disadvantage. Addressing unmet needs is an essential step for improving care outcomes among transgender women with HIV.

Available but inaccessible: patient experiences during the first 2 years of a primary care-based medical cannabis program at an academic medical center

BACKGROUND

Medical cannabis use and public acceptance in the United States have increased over the past 25 years. However, access to medical cannabis remains limited, particularly for underserved populations. To understand how patients experience medical cannabis accessibility, we measured medical cannabis use and barriers to use after medical cannabis certification in an urban safety-net academic medical center.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among patients seen in Montefiore's Medical Cannabis Program (MMCP) from 2017 to 2019. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics, as well purchase history of medical cannabis, were extracted from electronic medical records. We also administered a phone questionnaire to a subset of patients to assess usage patterns, effectiveness, and barriers to medical cannabis use.

RESULTS

Among 562 patients who were newly certified for medical cannabis between 2017 and 2019, 45% purchased medical cannabis, while 55% did not. Patients who purchased medical cannabis were more likely to be white and have private insurance or Medicare. Unregulated cannabis use and current tobacco use were less common among those who purchased medical cannabis. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, unregulated cannabis use remained negatively associated with purchasing medical cannabis. Patients reported that affordability and dispensary accessibility were their main barriers to purchasing medical cannabis.

CONCLUSION

Among patients certified for medical cannabis use, fewer than half purchased medical cannabis after certification. Improving access to medical cannabis is crucial for ensuring equitable access to regulated cannabis, and to reducing unregulated cannabis use.

Urban-rural disparities in geographic accessibility to care for people living with HIV

In the United States, people living with HIV (PLWH) in rural areas fare worse along the HIV care continuum than their urban counterparts; this may be due in part to limited geographic access to care. We estimated drive time to care for PLWH, focusing on urban-rural differences. Adult Medicaid enrollees living with HIV and their usual care clinicians were identified using administrative claims data from 14 states (Medicaid Analytic eXtract, 2009-2012). We used geographic network analysis to calculate one-way drive time from the enrollee's ZIP code tabulation area centroid to their clinician's practice address, then examined urban-rural differences using bivariate statistics. Additional analyses included altering the definition of rurality; examining subsamples based on the state of residence, services received, and clinician specialty; and adjusting for individual and county characteristics. Across n = 49,596 PLWH, median drive time to care was 12.8 min (interquartile range 26.3). Median drive time for rural enrollees (43.6 (82.0)) was nearly four times longer than for urban enrollees (11.9 (20.6) minutes, p < 0.0001), and drive times exceeded one hour for 38% of rural enrollees (versus 12% of urban, p < 0.0001). Urban-rural disparities remained in all additional analyses. Sustained efforts to circumvent limited geographic access to care are critical for rural areas.

Cost-Effectiveness of Anti-retroviral Adherence Interventions for People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review of Decision Analytical Models

BACKGROUND

Although safe and effective anti-retrovirals (ARVs) are readily available, non-adherence to ARVs is highly prevalent among people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (PLWHA). Different adherence-improving interventions have been developed and examined through decision analytic model-based health technology assessments. This systematic review aimed to review and appraise the decision analytical economic models developed to assess ARV adherence-improvement interventions.

METHODS

The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022270039), and reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Relevant studies were identified through searches in six generic and specialized bibliographic databases, i.e. PubMed, Embase, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, PsycINFO, Health Economic Evaluations Database, tufts CEA registry and EconLit, from their inception to 23 October 2022. The cost-effectiveness of adherence interventions is represented by the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The quality of studies was assessed using the quality of the health economics studies (QHES) instrument. Data were narratively synthesized in the form of tables and texts. Due to the heterogeneity of the data, a permutation matrix was used for quantitative data synthesis rather than a meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies, mostly conducted in North America (8/15 studies), were included in the review. The time horizon ranged from a year to a lifetime. Ten out of 15 studies used a micro-simulation, 4/15 studies employed Markov and 1/15 employed a dynamic model. The most commonly used interventions reported include technology based (5/15), nurse involved (2/15), directly observed therapy (2/15), case manager involved (1/15) and others that involved multi-component interventions (5/15). In 1/15 studies, interventions gained higher quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) with cost savings. The interventions in 14/15 studies were more effective but at a higher cost, and the overall ICER was well below the acceptable threshold mentioned in each study, indicating the interventions could potentially be implemented after careful interpretation. The studies were graded as high quality (13/15) or fair quality (2/15), with some methodological inconsistencies reported.

CONCLUSION

Counselling and smartphone-based interventions are cost-effective, and they have the potential to reduce the chronic adherence problem significantly. The quality of decision models can be improved by addressing inconsistencies in model selection, data inputs incorporated into models and uncertainty assessment methods.

Telemedicine and HIV Care Quality Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was adopted to ensure continuity of HIV care. We examined how introducing televisits affected technical quality of care for people with HIV (PWH) during this time.

METHODS

PWH receiving HIV care at Howard Brown Health Centers and Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois were included. HIV care quality indicators were calculated using data extracted from electronic medical records during 4 timepoints every 6 months from March, March 1, 2020 to September 1, 2021. Generalized linear mixed models estimated differences in indicators across timepoints within each site while controlling for multiple observations of individuals. Generalized linear mixed models were also used to compare differences in outcomes among PWH who attended all versus a combination of in-person and televisits versus no televisits across the study time periods.

RESULTS

6447 PWH were included in the analysis. Compared with prepandemic levels, there were significant declines in care utilization and processes of care measures. Measures of HIV virologic suppression, blood pressure control, and HbA1C <7% (in both people with and without diabetes) were stable with no significant differences noted across the study timepoints. Similar trends were observed across all age, race, and sex subgroups. In multivariable models, televisits were not associated with decreased HIV viral suppression.

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid implementation of televisits, indicators of care utilization and processes of care decreased compared with prepandemic levels. Among PWH who remained in care, televisits were not associated with worse virologic, blood pressure, and glycemic control in PWH.

Understanding Disparities in Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence and Sustained Viral Suppression Among Black, Hispanic/Latina, and White Women in the United States - Medical Monitoring Project, United States, 2015-2019

BACKGROUND

Racial and ethnic disparities in antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and sustained viral suppression (SVS) have been documented among women with HIV. We examined factors that may account for these racial/ethnic differences among women to inform interventions that increase health equity.

METHODS

We used data from the 2015-2019 cycles of the Medical Monitoring Project, a probability sample of U.S. adults with diagnosed HIV. Using logistic regression with predicted marginal means, we calculated weighted prevalence differences (PDs) of ART adherence and SVS among Black, Hispanic/Latina, and White women taking ART. Using modeling with forward stepwise selection, we adjusted PDs for selected variables, including social and structural determinants of health (SDOH) factors, to examine whether magnitude of PDs was attenuated by their inclusion. We assessed relative changes between unadjusted and adjusted PDs.

RESULTS

After adjusting for poverty, transportation needs, health literacy, and gap in health insurance/coverage, the Black-White PD in adherence decreased by 11% (-16.0% to -14.2%). After adjusting for adherence, poverty, type of health insurance, and gap in health insurance/coverage, the Black-White PD in SVS reduced 37% (-7.9% to -5.0%) and was no longer statistically different. The Hispanic/Latina-White PD in adherence reduced 24% (-12.7% to -9.6%) after adjusting for poverty, health literacy, and transportation needs. The unadjusted Hispanic/Latina-White PD in SVS was not significantly different.

CONCLUSION

Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV outcomes among women taking ART were substantially reduced after accounting for SDOH and other factors although differences remained. Structural interventions to improve SDOH are needed to improve health equity for women with HIV.

Racial Disparities in Access to the Kidney Transplant Waitlist Among People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has shifted such that Black individuals disproportionately represent incident HIV diagnoses. While risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) among people with HIV (PWH) has declined with effective antiretroviral therapies, a substantial racial disparity in ESKD burden exists with the greatest prevalence among Black PWH. Disparities in waitlisting for kidney transplantation, the optimal treatment for ESKD, exist for both PWH and Black individuals without HIV, but it is unknown whether these characteristics together exacerbate such disparities. Six hundred two thousand six ESKD patients were identified from the United States Renal Data System (January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2017), and HIV-status was determined through Medicare claims. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine waitlisting rates. Multiplicative interaction terms between HIV-status and race were examined. The 6250 PWH were significantly younger, more commonly Black, and less commonly female than those without HIV. HIV-status and race were independently associated with 50% and 12% lower likelihood of waitlisting, respectively [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.36-0.69, p < 0.001; aHR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.87-0.90, p < 0.001]. There was also a significant interaction present between HIV-status and Black race (aHR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.66-0.98, p < 0.001) such that, while HIV-status and Black race were independently associated with decreased waitlisting, the interaction of Black race and HIV-status exacerbated those disparities. While limited by lack of HIV-specific data that may impact inferences with respect to race, additional studies are urgently needed to understand the interplay between HIV risk factors, HIV-stigma, and racism, and how intersectionality may exacerbate disparities in transplantation among PWH.

Association of mental health symptoms on HIV care outcomes and retention in treatment

OBJECTIVE

The purpose was to examine associations between HIV care engagement and mental health symptoms among persons living with HIV (PLWH) receiving ART. This study builds upon previous findings indicating a significant association between mental health and retention in HIV care,¹ while also advancing the literature by examining the impact of substance use on this link, as well as potential bidirectional associations.

METHOD

Participants of the current study were 493 patients who engaged in care and received antiviral therapy (ART) from Infectious Disease physicians between 2017 and 2019 in a large academic medical center.

RESULTS

Results from hierarchical regression analyses revealed that patients who missed more days of ART medication had higher depressive symptoms, even when accounting for the effect of demographic variables and alcohol use. Further, depressive symptoms predicted significant variance in number of "no show" visits, but was not individually predictive of ""no show"" visits beyond the effect of other HIV care outcomes (e.g., number of days of medication missed).

CONCLUSION

Findings reflect linkages among HIV treatment adherence, mental health, and substance use, and highlight the need to target mental health symptoms to improve outcomes among PLWH and prevent HIV transmission.

Pharmacist-Involved Antiretroviral Stewardship Programs in People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Systematic Review

People living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS; PLWHA) frequently encounter antiretroviral (ARV) therapy-related problems. Clinical pharmacists with specialized training in ARV stewardship play an important role in managing these problems. However, there is a paucity of evidence to clarify the impact of clinical pharmacists' interventions on managing ARV therapy-related problems in PLWHA. Therefore, we aim to systematically review the literature to determine the nature and impact of pharmacists' interventions on managing medication-related problems in PLWHA. The review protocol was registered on International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42020173078). Relevant records were identified from six electronic bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register) from their inception until September 2022. We included all randomized and nonrandomized interventional studies that were published in English. After the abstract and full-text screening, data were extracted from the selected studies, and the quality of the studies was assessed. The electronic database search and citation tracking identified two thousand and three citations. The review included 21 of these studies, involving 2998 PLWHA, published between 2014 and 2022. Pharmacists' interventions, working alone or in a multi-disciplinary team, comprised ARV medication review, management of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), therapeutic drug monitoring, prevention of drug interactions, and provision of drug information to PLWHA or the health care team. The pharmacist-involved interventions significantly reduced incorrect/incomplete ARV regimens, drug interactions, incorrect dosages, duplicate therapy, polypharmacy, administration errors, missing medication, wrong formulation, ADRs, and prescribing errors. Most studies reported that physicians usually accept more than 90% of the pharmacists' recommendations. ARV medication-related problems remain highly prevalent in PLWHA. Pharmacist-led interventions and stewardship significantly reduce ARV therapy-related problems in PLWHA and are widely accepted by physicians. Dedicated pharmacists with specialized training and credentialing in infectious diseases or HIV/AIDS have a great potential to improve health outcomes in PLWHA.

Using Semistructured Telephone Interviews to Collect Qualitative Data From People With HIV Who Are Not in Medical Care: Implementation Study

BACKGROUND

The Medical Monitoring Qualitative (MMP-Qual) Project was designed to collect qualitative data from people with HIV not engaged in medical care that would complement quantitative data collected by the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP)-a national surveillance system-and inform the MMP's recruitment and data collection methods.

OBJECTIVE

Our objectives were to describe the methodology of this project, reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from conducting qualitative telephone interviews at a national level, and describe how we used and plan to use the qualitative data to evaluate our recruitment procedures and quantitative data collection instrument as well as knowledge of HIV care engagement.

METHODS

We used stratified purposive sampling to identify and recruit participants who had participated in the structured MMP interview into the MMP-Qual Project. To be eligible, participants must have had an HIV diagnosis, be aged ≥18 years, have lived in an MMP jurisdiction, and have not been engaged in HIV medical care. From August 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019, we conducted semistructured telephone interviews with 36 people with HIV across the United States about several topics (eg, facilitators and barriers to care and experience with surveys). Four trained interviewers conducted semistructured 60-minute telephone interviews with 36 participants. Data collection lasted from August 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019.

RESULTS

From 2018 to 2019, 113 people were eligible to participate in the MMP-Qual Project. Of the people recruited, 28% (22/79) refused to participate. Of those who agreed to participate, 63% (36/57) were interviewed, and 37% (21/57) were no-shows. Of the 34 participants for whom we had complete data, 15 (44%) were aged ≥50 years, 26 (76%) identified as male, 22 (65%) were Black or African American, and 12 (35%) lived in the Southern United States.

CONCLUSIONS

We learned that it is possible to obtain rich qualitative data from people with HIV who are not in care via telephone interviews and that this mode might be conducive to talking about sensitive topics. We also learned the importance of flexibility, communication, and coordination because we relied on health department staff to perform recruitment and had difficulty implementing our original sampling strategy. We hope that other projects will learn from our experience conducting qualitative telephone interviews with people with HIV on a national level.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/40041.