Public Health Detailing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pre-exposure Prophylaxis.

Despite the promise of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), PrEP remains underutilized, often due to clinician factors. Academic or public health detailing is a process by which university and/or government groups employ the marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies to improve clinical practice. We describe the novel application of detailing to increase PrEP prescribing and related care in New York City and New England. Detailing can play a crucial role in PrEP implementation.

Community-Based HIV and Viral Hepatitis Fellowship Evaluation: Results from a Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: The UMass Chan Medical School/New England AIDS Education and Training Center Community-Based HIV and Viral Hepatitis Fellowship was launched in 2014 to train physicians and nurse practitioners to become experts in outpatient management of HIV, hepatitis B and C, and latent tuberculosis. The purpose of this study was to identify areas of strength and improvement and understand fellows' perceptions of the program and its impact on their current positions and career trajectories. METHODS: Qualitative study utilizing a semi-structured interview guide with (11) fellowship graduates (8 MDs; 3 NPs). 45 to 60 min interviews were conducted in April and May 2021, recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed for representative themes and general patterns in the data. RESULTS: Results indicate high satisfaction with the fellowship, which left a positive and indelible impact on their careers and patient care. Fellows highlighted the program's commitment to health equity, its role in transforming them into leaders and advocates for HIV in primary care, and their ability to balance their work and training demands with their personal lives and needs. The fellowship motivated them to become more involved in public health initiatives, serve marginalized communities and reduce their health disparities. They expressed confidence in their ability to independently manage outpatient HIV, viral hepatitis B and C, and latent tuberculosis, and found areas of overlap with their work in primary care. CONCLUSION: As the care of people with HIV becomes more commonplace in primary care clinics, it is imperative that primary care providers receive the necessary training and education to meet this need. Our study of 11 former fellows shows that the Community-Based HIV and Viral Hepatitis Fellowship offers such training, spreads it to other institutions, and can be a model for other programs nationwide.

Care of Patients With HIV Infection: Diagnosis and Monitoring.

Appropriate screening for HIV infection is the cornerstone of HIV-related care. There have been several recent changes in testing technology and screening recommendations. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends universal HIV screening at least once for adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65 years, and additional screening for patients at higher risk, although evidence is insufficient to determine optimum rescreening intervals. All pregnant women should be screened for HIV infection in the first trimester, and pregnant women at high risk should be screened again in the third trimester. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends use of an algorithm using fourth-generation tests for screening; this decreases the window period between infection and detection to as few as 14 days, thereby reducing the number of false-negative results. Home HIV testing kits, which require follow-up confirmatory testing, also are available. Clinicians should be aware of HIV-specific laws in their states, including those criminalizing HIV exposure and transmission. Thorough medical and laboratory evaluations are essential at initiation of care for patients with HIV infection, along with appropriate follow-up monitoring, as recommended in various guidelines.

Care of Patients With HIV Infection: Medical Complications and Comorbidities.

Care of patients with HIV infection starts with diagnosis as soon as possible, preferably at or near the time of acute infection. Opportunistic infections, malignancies, and other conditions develop progressively over time, particularly in untreated patients. The AIDS-defining opportunistic infections most common in the United States include Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, Candida esophagitis, toxoplasmic encephalitis, tuberculosis, disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex, cryptococcal meningitis, and cytomegalovirus retinitis. Specific prophylaxis regimens exist for several opportunistic infections, and effective antiretroviral therapy reduces the risk of most others. Other AIDS-defining conditions include wasting syndrome and HIV encephalopathy. AIDS-defining malignancies include Kaposi sarcoma, systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma, primary central nervous system lymphoma, and invasive cervical cancer. Although not an AIDS-defining condition, anal cancer is common in patients with HIV infection. Other HIV-related conditions include thrombocytopenia, recurrent bacterial respiratory infections, HIV-associated nephropathy, and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder.

Care of Patients With HIV Infection: Antiretroviral Drug Regimens.

The advent of combination antiretroviral drug regimens has transformed HIV infection from a fatal illness into a manageable chronic condition. All patients with HIV infection should be considered for antiretroviral therapy, regardless of CD4 count or HIV viral load, for individual benefit and to prevent HIV transmission. Antiretroviral drugs affect HIV in several ways: entry inhibitors block HIV entry into CD4 T cells; nucleotide and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors prevent reverse transcription from RNA to DNA via chain-terminating proteins; nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors prevent reverse transcription through enzymatic inhibition; integrase strand transfer inhibitors block integration of viral DNA into cellular DNA; protease inhibitors block maturation and production of the virus. Current guidelines recommend six combination regimens for initial therapy. Five are based on tenofovir and emtricitabine; the other uses abacavir and lamivudine. Five include integrase strand transfer inhibitors. HIV specialists should assist with treating patients with complicated HIV infection, including patients with treatment-resistant HIV infection, coinfection with hepatitis B or C virus, pregnancy, childhood infections, severe opportunistic infections, complex drug interactions, significant drug toxicity, or comorbidities. Family physicians can treat most patients with HIV infection effectively by choosing appropriate treatment regimens, monitoring patients closely, and retaining patients in care.

Care of Patients With HIV Infection: Primary Care.

With the advent of antiretroviral therapy and improved access to care, the average life expectancy of patients with HIV infection receiving optimal treatment approaches that of patients in the general population. AIDS-related opportunistic infections and malignancies are no longer the primary issues; instead, traditional age- and lifestyle-related conditions are a growing concern. Patients with HIV infection are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some non-AIDS-related cancers than patients in the general population. Family physicians need to be knowledgeable about screening for and managing chronic comorbid conditions as this population ages. Health maintenance, including appropriate vaccinations, prophylaxis against opportunistic infections, and routine screening for sexually transmitted infections, remains an important part of care. As HIV infection becomes a chronic condition, emerging strategies in prevention, including preexposure prophylaxis, fall within the scope of practice of the family physician.