Qualitative assessment of crisis services among persons using injection drugs in the city of Saskatoon

Perceived Mistreatment in Health Care Settings and its Relationship with HIV Clinical Outcomes in HIV-positive People who Use Drugs in Vancouver, Canada

People living with HIV (PLWH) often experience stigma and discrimination by health care professionals. We investigated the prevalence of perceived mistreatment in health care settings and its associations with HIV clinical outcomes and health care-seeking behaviour using data from a long-running prospective cohort of PLWH who use drugs. Of the 857 participants included, 19% reported at least one instance of perceived mistreatment during the study period. In adjusted longitudinal analyses, perceived mistreatment was positively associated with not being on ART in the same follow-up period, and participants who reported perceived mistreatment were less likely to report seeing a physician in the subsequent follow-up period. Daily use of injection drugs was positively associated with reporting perceived mistreatment. These findings demonstrate the implications of negative health care interactions in a population that must consistently engage with the health care system, and the need for stigma-reducing educational interventions for health care professionals.

Awareness, perception and utilization of a mobile health clinic by people who use drugs

INTRODUCTION

People who use drugs (PWUD) face a multitude of barriers to accessing healthcare and other services. Mobile health clinics (MHC) are an innovative, cost-effective health care delivery approach that increases healthcare access to vulnerable populations and medically underserved areas. There is limited understanding, however, of how PWUD perceive and experience MHCs.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 PWUD - 16 who had received care (clients) on an MHC (The Spot) and 15 who had not (non-clients) - to explore their perceptions and utilization of an MHC partnered with a mobile syringe services program in Baltimore, Maryland. Data analysis of the text was conducted using an iterative thematic constant comparison process informed by grounded theory.

RESULTS

Clients and non-clients, once aware of the MHC, had positive perceptions of The Spot and its benefits for their individual health as well as for the wellbeing of their community. These sentiments among clients were largely driven by access to low-barrier buprenorphine and service delivery without stigma around drug use. However, lack of general awareness of the spot and specific service offering were barriers to its use among non-clients.

DISCUSSION

MHCs provide an important opportunity to engage PWUD in healthcare and to expand buprenorphine use; however, even with accessibility near where PWUD access injection equipment, barriers to its use remain. Peer dissemination may be able to facilitate program information sharing and recruitment.KEY MESSAGESPeople who use drugs perceive a mobile health clinic in their neighbourhood as a benefit to their communities and themselves by improving access to healthcare services, providing access to low-threshold buprenorphine dispensation, and offering services without drug use stigma.People who use drugs learned about a mobile health clinic in their neighbourhood largely through word-of-mouth. As a result, people received limited information about the mobile health clinic services creating a barrier to its use.

Network-based recruitment of people who inject drugs for hepatitis C testing and linkage to care

Although oral direct-acting agent (DAA) therapies have the potential to reduce the burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, treatment uptake remains low, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). This study examined the feasibility of an innovative peer-based recruitment strategy to engage PWID in HCV testing and treatment. We interviewed an initial set of HCV antibody-positive PWID as 'primary indexes' to gather demographic, drug use, health information and drug network characteristics. Primary indexes were then briefly educated on HCV and its treatment and encouraged to recruit their injection drug 'network members' for HCV testing and linkage to care. Eligible network members were enrolled as 'secondary indexes' and completed the same index study procedures. In sum, 17 of 36 primary indexes initiated the recruitment of 64 network members who were HCV antibody positive and eligible to become indexes. In multivariable analysis, successful recruitment of at least one network member was positively associated with prior HCV treatment (OR 2.80; CI [1.01, 7.72]), daily or more injection drug use (OR 2.38; CI [1.04, 5.47]), and a higher number of injection drug network members (OR 1.20; CI [1.01, 1.42]). Among the 69 participants with chronic HCV not previously linked to HCV care at enrolment, 91% (n = 63) completed a linkage to HCV care appointment, 45% (n = 31) scheduled an appointment with an HCV provider, and 20% (n = 14) initiated HCV therapy. These findings suggest a potential benefit for peer-driven, network-based interventions focused on HCV treatment-experienced PWID as a mechanism to increase HCV linkage to care.

Emergency Department Visits in a Cohort of Persons with Substance Use: Incorporating the Role of Social Networks

BACKGROUND

Frequent emergency department (ED) visits often suggest inappropriate use for low acuity needs and multiple comorbidities, including substance use disorders.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines associations of individuals and their social networks with high frequency ED use among persons reporting substance use.

METHODS

Information was obtained from interview responses from the first 6-month follow-up visit of a longitudinal. Prevalence ratios for the outcome of high frequency ED visits (≥2 in 6 months) were determined with a generalized linear model, log link, Poisson distribution and robust standard errors.

RESULTS

Of 653 participants, 131 (20%) had ≥2 ED visits. In multivariable analysis, greater likelihood of high frequency ED visits over 6 months was associated with being homeless (PR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.10), taking ≥3 medications (PR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.10) and having had a hospitalization over the same period (PR: 4.33; 95% CI: 3.26, 7.56). Among social network factors, lower likelihood of high frequency visits was associated with each increasing year of mean alter age (PR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.6, 0.99) and greater likelihood with having received health-related informational support from ≥2 alters (PR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.53). Conclusions/Importance: Social network factors may play an important role in ED use. Interventions to promote health behaviors through social influence may be helpful in reducing high frequency ED visits.

Being and Becoming a Helper: Illness Disclosure and Identity Transformations among Indigenous People Living With HIV or AIDS in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Saskatoon has nearly half of the diagnoses of HIV in Saskatchewan, Canada, with an incidence rate among Indigenous populations within inner-city contexts that is 3 times higher than national rates. Previous research does not adequately explore the relations between HIV vulnerabilities within these contexts and the experiences of illness disclosure that are informed by identity transformations, experiences of stigma, and social support. From an intersectionality framework and a constructivist grounded theory approach, this research involved in-depth, semistructured interviews with 21 Indigenous people living with HIV and/or AIDS in Saskatoon, both male and female. In this article, we present the key themes that emerged from the interviews relating to experiences of HIV disclosure, including experiences of and barriers to the disclosure process. In the end, we highlight the important identity transformation and role of being and becoming a "helper" in the community and how it can be seen as a potential support for effective community health interventions.

Childhood Trauma and the Inability to Access Hospital Care Among People who Inject Drugs

Childhood traumatic experiences can disrupt attachment, influence personality development, and precipitate chronic disease. Although the repercussions of these experiences may also pose a barrier to healthcare, few studies have examined the association between childhood trauma and access to healthcare. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether a history of childhood trauma is associated with self-reported inability to access hospital care among persons who inject drugs (PWID). Data were derived from two prospective cohorts of PWID in Vancouver, Canada. We used multivariable generalized estimating equations to examine associations between five types of childhood trauma and self-reported inability to access hospital care, both overall and specifically due to perceived mistreatment by hospital staff. In total, 300 participants (18.3%) reported having tried but being unable to access hospital care in the previous 6 months at some point during the study period; the primary reason was perceived mistreatment by hospital staff (32.1%). In multivariable analyses, childhood emotional abuse was independently associated with self-reported inability to access hospital care, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.51, 95% CI [1.03, 2.20]. Childhood physical neglect was also independently associated with inability to access care due to perceived mistreatment by hospital staff, AOR = 1.80, 95% CI [1.11, 2.93]. This suggests potentially damaging consequences of early trauma in adult PWID populations. Further, this study emphasizes the need for trauma-informed models of care as well as the need to improve therapeutic alliances with survivors of childhood trauma in the PWID population.

Internalized HIV and Drug Stigmas: Interacting Forces Threatening Health Status and Health Service Utilization Among People with HIV Who Inject Drugs in St. Petersburg, Russia

Marked overlap between the HIV and injection drug use epidemics in St. Petersburg, Russia, puts many people in need of health services at risk for stigmatization based on both characteristics simultaneously. The current study examined the independent and interactive effects of internalized HIV and drug stigmas on health status and health service utilization among 383 people with HIV who inject drugs in St. Petersburg. Participants self-reported internalized HIV stigma, internalized drug stigma, health status (subjective rating and symptom count), health service utilization (HIV care and drug treatment), sociodemographic characteristics, and health/behavioral history. For both forms of internalized stigma, greater stigma was correlated with poorer health and lower likelihood of service utilization. HIV and drug stigmas interacted to predict symptom count, HIV care, and drug treatment such that individuals internalizing high levels of both stigmas were at elevated risk for experiencing poor health and less likely to access health services.

Visits to primary care physicians among persons who inject drugs at high risk of hepatitis C virus infection: room for improvement

The role of primary care physicians (PCP) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevention is increasingly emphasized. Yet, little is known about the patterns of contacts with PCP among persons who inject drugs (PWID). We sought to assess the 6-month prevalence of PCP visiting among PWID at risk of HCV infection and to explore the associated factors. Baseline data were collected from HCV-seronegative PWID recruited in HEPCO, an observational Hepatitis Cohort study (2004-2011) in Montreal, Canada. An interviewer-administered questionnaire elicited information on socio-demographic factors, drug use patterns and healthcare services utilization. Blood samples were tested for HCV antibodies. Using the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model, hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify predisposing, need and enabling factors associated with PCP visiting. Of the 349 participants (mean age = 34; 80.8% male), 32.1% reported visiting a PCP. In the multivariate model, among predisposing factors, male gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.45 (0.25-0.83)], chronic homelessness [AOR = 0.08 (0.01-0.67)], cocaine injection [AOR = 0.46 (0.28-0.76)] and reporting greater illegal or semi-legal income [AOR = 0.48 (0.27-0.85)] were negatively associated with PCP visits. Markers of need were not associated with the outcome. Among enabling factors, contact with street nurses [AOR = 3.86 (1.49-9.90)] and food banks [AOR = 2.01 (1.20-3.37)] was positively associated with PCP visiting. Only one third of participating PWID reported a recent visit to a PCP. While a host of predisposing factors seems to hamper timely contacts with PCP among high-risk PWID, community-based support services may play an important role in initiating dialogue with primary healthcare services in this population.