Effect of Patient Navigation on Transitions of HIV Care After Release from Prison: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Antiretroviral therapy is successfully administered to people living with HIV while they are incarcerated in most US prison systems, but interruptions in treatment are common after people are released. We undertook an observational cohort study designed to examine the clinical and psychosocial factors that influence linkage to HIV care and viral suppression after release from a single state prison system. In this report we describe baseline characteristics and 6-month post-incarceration HIV care outcomes for 170 individuals in Wisconsin. Overall, 114 (67%) individuals were linked to outpatient HIV care within 180 days of release from prison, and of these, 90 (79%) were observed to have HIV viral suppression when evaluated in the community. The strongest predictor of linkage to care in this study was participation in a patient navigation program: Those who received patient navigation were linked to care 84% of the time, compared to 60% of the individuals who received only standard release planning (adjusted OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.24, 10.96; P < 0.01). Findings from this study demonstrate that building and maintaining intensive patient navigation programs that support individuals releasing from prison is beneficial for improving transitions in HIV care.

The Impact of a Primary Care Education Program Regarding Cancer Survivorship Care Plans: Results from an Engineering, Primary Care, and Oncology Collaborative for Survivorship Health.

Survivorship care plans (SCPs) have been recommended as tools to improve care coordination and outcomes for cancer survivors. SCPs are increasingly being provided to survivors and their primary care providers. However, most primary care providers remain unaware of SCPs, limiting their potential benefit. Best practices for educating primary care providers regarding SCP existence and content are needed. We developed an education program to inform primary care providers of the existence, content, and potential uses for SCPs. The education program consisted of a 15-min presentation highlighting SCP basics presented at mandatory primary care faculty meetings. An anonymous survey was electronically administered via email (n = 287 addresses) to evaluate experience with and basic knowledge of SCPs pre- and post-education. A total of 101 primary care advanced practice providers (APPs) and physicians (35% response rate) completed the baseline survey with only 23% reporting prior receipt of a SCP. Only 9% could identify the SCP location within the electronic health record (EHR). Following the education program, primary care physicians and APPs demonstrated a significant improvement in SCP knowledge, including improvement in their ability to locate one within the EHR (9 vs 59%, p < 0.0001). A brief educational program containing information about SCP existence, content, and location in the EHR increased primary care physician and APP knowledge in these areas, which are prerequisites for using SCP in clinical practice.

Cancer Survivorship Care Plan Utilization and Impact on Clinical Decision-Making at Point-of-Care Visits with Primary Care: Results from an Engineering, Primary Care, and Oncology Collaborative for Survivorship Health.

Every cancer survivor and his/her primary care provider should receive an individualized survivorship care plan (SCP) following curative treatment. Little is known regarding point-of-care utilization at primary care visits. We assessed SCP utilization in the clinical context of primary care visits. Primary care physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) who had seen survivors following provision of an SCP were identified. Eligible primary care physicians and APPs were sent an online survey, evaluating SCP utilization and influence on decision-making at the point-of-care, accompanied by copies of the survivor's SCP and the clinic note. Eighty-eight primary care physicians and APPs were surveyed November 2016, with 40 (45%) responding. Most respondents (60%) reported discussing cancer or related issues during the visit. Information needed included treatment (66%) and follow-up visits, and the cancer team was responsible for (58%) vs primary care (58%). Respondents acquired this information by asking the patient (79%), checking oncology notes (75%), the SCP (17%), or online resources (8%). Barriers to SCP use included being unaware of the SCP (73%), difficulty locating it (30%), and finding needed information faster via another mechanism (15%). Despite largely not using the SCP for the visit (90%), most respondents (61%) believed one would be quite or very helpful for future visits. Most primary care visits included discussion of cancer or cancer-related issues. SCPs may provide the information necessary to deliver optimal survivor care but efforts are needed to reduce barriers and design SCPs for primary care use.

Cessation-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills in smokers living with HIV.

There is a need for new, targeted smoking cessation interventions for smokers living with HIV. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model has been applied effectively to HIV-related health behaviors and was used in this qualitative study to elicit factors that could lead to the development of innovative and successful cessation interventions for this population. Twenty individuals who smoked from two clinics providing care to people living with HIV participated in open-ended interviews, responding to questions covering the domains of the IMB model, as applied to smokers living with HIV. Participants were enrolled from a larger survey cohort to recruit into groups based on the impact of HIV diagnosis on smoking as well as attempting to enroll a mix of demographics characteristics. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and thematically analyzed using a grounded theory qualitative approach. Interviews continued until thematic saturation was reached. Major themes included: Presence of knowledge deficits regarding HIV-specific health risks of smoking; use of smoking for emotional regulation, where many reported close contacts who smoke and concern with the effect of cessation on their social networks; Use of smoking cessation aids or a telephone-based wellness intervention were acceptable to most. Providing HIV-specific information in cessation advice is of the utmost importance for clinicians caring for smokers living with HIV, as this theme was noted consistently as a potential motivator to quit. Innovative and effective interventions must account for the social aspect of smoking and address other methods of emotional regulation in this population.

Manifestations of HIV stigma and their impact on retention in care for people transitioning from prisons to communities.

BACKGROUND: While most people living with HIV who are incarcerated in United States receive appropriate HIV care while they are in prison, interruptions in antiretroviral therapy and virologic failure are extremely common after they are released. The purpose of this study was to describe whether and how HIV stigma influences continuity of care for people living with HIV while they transition from prison to community settings. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured, telephone-based interviews with 32 adults who received HIV care while residing in a Wisconsin state prison, followed by a second interview 6 months after they returned to their home community. Interview transcripts were analyzed by an interdisciplinary research team using conventional content analysis. We identified themes based on commonly-reported experiences that were characterized as internalized stigma, perceived stigma, vicarious stigma, or enacted stigma. RESULTS: All four forms of HIV stigma appeared to negatively influence participants' engagement in community-based HIV care. Mechanisms described by participants included care avoidance due to concerns about HIV status disclosure and symptoms of depression and anxiety caused by internalized stigma. Supportive social relationships with clinic staff, professional case managers and supportive peers appeared to mitigate the impact of HIV stigma by increasing motivation for treatment adherence. CONCLUSIONS: HIV stigma is manifest in several different forms by people living with HIV who were recently incarcerated, and are perceived by patients to negatively influence their desire and ability to engage in HIV care. By being cognizant of the pervasive influence of HIV stigma on the lives of criminal justice involved adults, HIV care providers and clinical support staff can ameliorate important barriers to optimal HIV care for a vulnerable group of patients.

Evaluating primary care providers' views on survivorship care plans generated by an electronic health record system.

PURPOSE: Survivorship care plans for cancer survivors may facilitate provider-to-provider communication. Primary care provider (PCP) perspectives on care plan provision and use are limited, especially when care plans are generated by an electronic health record (EHR) system. We sought to examine PCPs' perspectives regarding EHR-generated care plans. METHODS: PCPs (N = 160) who were members of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network listserv received a sample 10-page plan (WREN cohort). PCPs (n = 81) who had or were currently seeing survivors enrolled onto one of our survivorship clinical trials received a copy of the survivor's personalized care plan (University of Wisconsin [UW] cohort). Both cohorts received a survey after reviewing the plan. All plans were generated within an EHR. RESULTS: Forty-six and 26 PCPs participated in the WREN and UW cohorts, respectively. PCPs regarded EHR-generated plans as useful in coordinating care (88%), understanding treatments (94%), understanding treatment adverse effects (89%), and supporting clinical decisions (82%). Few felt using EHR-generated plans would disrupt clinic workflow (14%) or take too much time (11%). Most (89%) preferred receiving the plan via EHR. PCPs reported consistent provision (81%) and standard location in the medical record (89%) as key factors facilitating their use of survivorship care plans. Important facilitators of care plan use included a more abbreviated plan, ideally one to three pages (32%), and/or a plan specifically tailored to PCP use (57%). CONCLUSION: Plans were viewed as useful for coordinating care and making clinical decisions. However, PCPs desired shorter, clinician-oriented plans, accessible within an EHR and delivered and located in a standardized manner.

"Oops! I forgot HIV": resident physician self-audits and universal HIV screening.

BACKGROUND: Innovations are needed to increase universal HIV screening by primary care providers. One potential intervention is self-audit feedback, which describes the process of a clinician reviewing their own patient charts and reflecting on their performance. METHODS: The effectiveness of self-audit feedback was investigated using a mixed methods approach. A total of 2111 patient charts were analyzed in a quantitative pre-post intervention study design, where the intervention was providing self-audit feedback to all internal medicine residents at one institution through an annual chart review. Qualitative data generated from the subsequent resident focus group discussions explored the motivation and mechanism for change using a knowledge-attitude-behavior framework. RESULTS: The proportion of primary care patients screened for HIV increased from 17.9% (190/1060) to 40.3% (423/1051). The adjusted odds ratio of a patient being screened following resident self-audited feedback was 3.17 (95% CI 2.11, 4.76, p<0.001). Focus group participants attributed the improved performance to the self-audit feedback. CONCLUSIONS: Self-audit feedback is a potentially effective intervention for increasing universal HIV screening in primary care. This strategy may be most useful in settings where (1) baseline performance is low, (2) behavioral change is provider-driven, and (3) resident trainees are targeted.

Cross-sectional study of vitamin D levels, immunologic and virologic outcomes in HIV-infected adults.

CONTEXT: Vitamin D is increasingly recognized as an important immunomodulator. Lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D) are observed in persons living with HIV. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of 25(OH)D, and 1,25(OH)2D to HIV viral load, and CD4+ T cells in HIV-infected adults. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study completed between January 2010 and April 2011. SETTING: This study was conducted with volunteers who received HIV care in Wisconsin at either a University-based HIV clinic or an urban community HIV clinic. PATIENTS: One hundred twelve adults with HIV infection participated in this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome for this study was the relationship between 1,25(OH)2D and HIV viral load. Secondary outcomes included relationships between 25(OH)D and HIV viral load, 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D to CD4+ T cells, and predictors of vitamin D deficiency. RESULTS: The 112 volunteers included 24 women and 3 transgender individuals; 68% were from the university clinic, and 32% were from the urban clinic. Mean age was 44.2 years. The mean 25(OH)D level was 22.5 ng/mL; mean 1,25(OH)2D level was 23.5 pg/mL. Twenty-two percent had 25(OH)D ≤10 ng/mL; 53% had values <20 ng/mL, and 73% were ≤30 ng/mL. There was no association between vitamin D and CD4. A nonlinear relationship between viral load and 1,25(OH)2D was found. For 1,25(OH)2D below 32 pg/mL, for each 10 pg/mL decrease in 1,25(OH)2D, (log10) viral load increased by 0.84 (95% CI: 0.16-1.51, P = .015). For 1,25(OH)2D above 32 pg/mL, for each 10 pg/mL increase in 1,25(OH)2D, (log10) viral load increased by 0.36 (95% CI: 0.15-0.57, P = .0009). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency was common in this HIV population, as seen in other HIV cohorts. A novel, U-shaped relationship between 1,25(OH)2D and viral load, with the lowest and highest 1,25(OH)2D levels seen with high viral loads, was found and deserves further study.

Barriers and facilitators of universal HIV screening among internal medicine residents.

BACKGROUND: Adoption of universal HIV screening has been low despite national recommendations. OBJECTIVE: To describe the barriers and facilitators to adoption of universal HIV screening in a low-prevalence setting. DESIGN: Qualitative, thematic analysis of focus group discussions among internal medicine residents who introduced universal HIV screening into their primary care practice in Madison, Wisconsin. APPROACH: Deductive and inductive codes constructed a hybridized thematic analysis model. Deductive codes stemmed from a knowledge-attitude-behavior framework for physician nonadherence to guidelines. Inductive codes emerged from the focus group discussions and were embedded into broader deductive codes to provide an HIV-specific model. KEY RESULTS: Residents were knowledgeable and had positive attitudes toward recommendations for universal HIV screening. Residents felt the majority of their patients were receptive to HIV screening, especially when introduced with normalizing techniques and reference to an expert authority such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They still perceived patient discussions as challenging due to stigma surrounding HIV and patients' perceptions of being at low risk. Residents employed individualized electronic medical record cues as a memory aid to discuss the issue. CONCLUSION: This qualitative study of internal medicine residents training in an area with low HIV prevalence suggests that stigma and patient perception of being at low risk are barriers that should be addressed to effectively integrate universal HIV screening into primary care.

Perceptions and influences of a state prison smoking ban.

Prison smoking bans are increasingly common. It is important to consider how those who are incarcerated respond to these bans and to the subsequent development of contraband tobacco markets. Since there are high rates of smoking in individuals who become incarcerated, along with high rates of chronic illnesses that are exacerbated by smoking, it is critical to examine whether there are health promoting changes in perceptions of and intentions toward smoking and other health behaviors that can be maintained on release to the community. Interviews with incarcerated men experiencing a prison smoking ban revealed their responses to being smoke-free, reactions to the presence of contraband smoking, and the influences of this experience on their intentions to smoke following release.

Factors affecting clinician educator encouragement of routine HIV testing among trainees.

BACKGROUND: Adoption of CDC recommendations for routine, voluntary HIV screening of all Americans age 13­64 years has been slow. One method to increase adherence to clinical practice guidelines is through medical school and residency training. OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes, barriers, and behaviors of clinician educators (CEs) regarding advocating routine HIV testing to their trainees. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: We analyzed CE responses to a 2009 survey of Society of General Internal Medicine members from community, VA, and university-affiliated clinics regarding HIV testing practices. MAIN MEASURES: Clinician educators were asked about their outpatient practices, knowledge and attitudes regarding the revised CDC recommendations and whether they encouraged trainees to perform routine HIV testing. Associations between HIV testing knowledge and attitudes and encouraging trainees to perform routine HIV testing were estimated using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 515 respondents, 367 (71.3%) indicated they supervised trainees in an outpatient general internal medicine clinic. These CEs demonstrated suboptimal knowledge of CDC guidelines and over a third reported continued risk-based testing. Among CEs, 196 (53.4%) reported that they encourage trainees to perform routine HIV testing. Higher knowledge scores (aOR 5.10 (2.16, 12.0)) and more positive attitudes toward testing (aOR 8.83 (4.21, 18.5)) were independently associated with encouraging trainees to screen for HIV. Reasons for not encouraging trainees to screen included perceived low local prevalence (37.2%), competing teaching priorities (34.6%), and a busy clinic environment (34.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinician educators have a special role in the dissemination of the CDC recommendations as they impact the knowledge and attitudes of newly practicing physicians. Despite awareness of CDC recommendations, many CEs do not recommend universal HIV testing to trainees. Interventions that improve faculty knowledge of HIV testing recommendations and address barriers in resident clinics may enhance adoption of routine HIV testing.

Prevention needs of HIV-positive men and women awaiting release from prison.

Greater understanding of barriers to risk reduction among incarcerated HIV+ persons reentering the community is needed to inform culturally tailored interventions. This qualitative study elicited HIV prevention-related information, motivation and behavioral skills (IMB) needs of 30 incarcerated HIV+ men and women awaiting release from state prison. Unmet information needs included risk questions about viral loads, positive sexual partners, and transmission through casual contact. Social motivational barriers to risk reduction included partner perceptions that prison release increases sexual desirability, partners' negative condom attitudes, and HIV disclosure-related fears of rejection. Personal motivational barriers included depression and strong desires for sex or substance use upon release. Behavioral skills needs included initiating safer behaviors with partners with whom condoms had not been used prior to incarceration, disclosing HIV status, and acquiring clean needles or condoms upon release. Stigma and privacy concerns were prominent prison context barriers to delivering HIV prevention services during incarceration.

Provider and practice characteristics associated with use of rapid HIV Testing by general internists.

BACKGROUND: Rapid HIV testing could increase routine HIV testing. Most previous studies of rapid testing were conducted in acute care settings, and few described the primary care providers' perspective. OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of general internal medicine physicians with access to rapid HIV testing, and to determine whether such access is associated with differences in HIV-testing practices or perceived HIV-testing barriers. DESIGN: Web-based cross-sectional survey conducted in 2009. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 406 physician members of the Society of General Internal Medicine who supervise residents or provide care in outpatient settings. MAIN MEASURES: Surveys assessed provider and practice characteristics, HIV-testing types, HIV-testing behavior, and potential barriers to HIV testing. RESULTS: Among respondents, 15% had access to rapid HIV testing. In multivariable analysis, physicians were more likely to report access to rapid testing if they were non-white (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22, 0.91), had more years since completing training (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02, 1.10), practiced in the northeastern US (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.28, 4.32), or their practice included a higher percentage of uninsured patients (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01, 1.04). Internists with access to rapid testing reported fewer barriers to HIV testing. More respondents with rapid than standard testing reported at least 25% of their patients received HIV testing (51% versus 35%, p = 0.02). However, access to rapid HIV testing was not significantly associated with the estimated proportion of patients receiving HIV testing within the previous 30 days (7.24% vs. 4.58%, p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Relatively few internists have access to rapid HIV testing in outpatient settings, with greater availability of rapid testing in community-based clinics and in the northeastern US. Future research may determine whether access to rapid testing in primary care settings will impact routinizing HIV testing.

General internists' beliefs, behaviors, and perceived barriers to routine HIV screening in primary care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine HIV screening in primary care but little is known about general internists' views of this practice. We conducted a national, cross-sectional, Internet-based survey of 446 general internists in 2009 regarding their HIV screening behaviors, beliefs, and perceived barriers to routine HIV screening in outpatient internal medicine practices. Internists' awareness of revised CDC guidelines was high (88%), but only 52% had increased HIV testing, 61% offered HIV screening regardless of risk, and a median 2% (range 0-67%) of their patients were tested in the past month. Internists practicing in perceived higher risk communities reported greater HIV screening. Consent requirements were a barrier to screening, particularly for VA providers and those practicing in states with HIV consent statutes inconsistent with CDC guidelines. Interventions that promote HIV screening regardless of risk and streamlined consent requirements will likely increase adoption of routine HIV screening in general medicine practices.

Whole-genome characterization of human and simian immunodeficiency virus intrahost diversity by ultradeep pyrosequencing.

Rapid evolution and high intrahost sequence diversity are hallmarks of human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV/SIV) infection. Minor viral variants have important implications for drug resistance, receptor tropism, and immune evasion. Here, we used ultradeep pyrosequencing to sequence complete HIV/SIV genomes, detecting variants present at a frequency as low as 1%. This approach provides a more complete characterization of the viral population than is possible with conventional methods, revealing low-level drug resistance and detecting previously hidden changes in the viral population. While this work applies pyrosequencing to immunodeficiency viruses, this approach could be applied to virtually any viral pathogen.

Prerelease intent predicts smoking behavior postrelease following a prison smoking ban.

INTRODUCTION: More than 2 million persons are incarcerated in the United States. Most are young minority men, soon to reenter the community. The majority are also lifelong smokers with high rates of health-related problems. As prisons implement smoking bans, it is not known whether health behavior change that is mandated, rather than selected, can be maintained. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections smoking ban is a unique opportunity to investigate determinants of smoking behavior after release from prison. METHODS: A convenience sample of 49 incarcerated men near release participated in two interviews (1-month prerelease, in prison, and 1-month postrelease via telephone). Descriptive analyses and multivariate modeling were conducted to determine associations with postrelease smoking. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 36.7 years, 12.4 years of education, and a 2.3-year incarceration; 47% were Black and 41% White. They had smoked 14.5 years. Most (67%) believed that their health was improved after the smoking ban. Paired t tests revealed decreases in Positive and Negative Affect Scale negative affect (p = .001) and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 depression (p = .009) postrelease. Univariate analysis showed correlations of intent to smoke upon release with smoking relapse postrelease (p = .001), White race with smoking relapse postrelease (p = .045), and perceived better health since the prison smoking ban with nonsmoking on release (p = .01). There was a trend toward use of alcohol with smoking relapse on release (p = .061). DISCUSSION: Prerelease smoking intention predicted postrelease behavior. Belief in improved health after the prison smoking ban correlated with nonsmoking on release. Targeted relapse prevention interventions are needed for people reentering the community.

Optimizing HIV care: policy implications.

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically improved clinical outcomes in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HIV infection has also become a complex chronic condition that requires a high degree of specialized clinical skills among managing clinicians. This evolving infection requires a multidisciplinary approach, which links HIV treatment with prevention and traditional healthcare screening and management. With improved immune function from HAART, non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining conditions are responsible for an increasing proportion of the morbidity and mortality experienced by HIV-infected patients. The focus of HIV care must shift from reducing short-term morbidity and mortality to maintaining long-term survival and quality-of-life goals. Reimbursement for HIV treatment is extremely low. The disconnect between treatment cost and reimbursement is not sustainable, and will become more acute as individual patient care needs begin to extend over multiple decades. Policy leaders must transition to a long-term view of HIV care and shift funding priorities to maintain a viable and engaged HIV workforce.