Differential Effects of Patient Navigation across Latent Profiles of Barriers to Care among People Living with HIV and Comorbid Conditions.

Engaging people living with HIV who report substance use (PLWH-SU) in care is essential to HIV medical management and prevention of new HIV infections. Factors associated with poor engagement in HIV care include a combination of syndemic psychosocial factors, mental and physical comorbidities, and structural barriers to healthcare utilization. Patient navigation (PN) is designed to reduce barriers to care, but its effectiveness among PLWH-SU remains unclear. We analyzed data from NIDA Clinical Trials Network's CTN-0049, a three-arm randomized controlled trial testing the effect of a 6-month PN with and without contingency management (CM), on engagement in HIV care and viral suppression among PLWH-SU (n = 801). Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of individuals' experiences to 23 barriers to care. The effects of PN on engagement in care and viral suppression were compared across latent profiles. Three latent profiles of barriers to care were identified. The results revealed that PN interventions are likely to be most effective for PLWH-SU with fewer, less severe healthcare barriers. Special attention should be given to individuals with a history of abuse, intimate partner violence, and discrimination, as they may be less likely to benefit from PN alone and require additional interventions.

Self-efficacy as a mediator of patient navigation interventions to engage persons living with HIV and substance use.

BACKGROUND: People living with HIV who report substance use (PLWH-SU) face many barriers to care, resulting in an increased risk for poor health outcomes and the potential for ongoing disease transmission. This study evaluates the mechanisms by which Patient Navigation (PN) and Contingency Management (CM) interventions may work to address barriers to care and improve HIV outcomes in this population. METHODS: Mediation analysis was conducted using data from a randomized, multi-site trial testing PN interventions to improve HIV care outcomes among 801 hospitalized PLHW-SU. Direct and indirect effects of PN and PN + CM were evaluated through five potential mediators-psychosocial conditions, healthcare avoidance, financial hardship, system barriers, and self-efficacy for HIV treatment adherence-on engagement in HIV care and viral suppression. RESULTS: The PN + CM intervention had an indirect effect on improving engagement in HIV care at 6 months by increasing self-efficacy for HIV treatment adherence (ß = 0.042, 95% CI = 0.008, 0.086). PN + CM also led to increases in viral suppression at 6 months (ß = 0.090, 95% CI = 0.023, 0.168) and 12 months (ß = 0.069, 95% CI = 0.009, 0.129) via increases in self-efficacy, although the direct effects were not significant. No mediating effects were observed for PN alone. CONCLUSION: PN + CM interventions for PLWH-SU can increase an individual's self-efficacy for HIV treatment adherence, which in turn improves engagement in care at 6 months and may contribute to viral suppression over 12 months. Building self-efficacy may be a key factor in the success of such interventions and should be considered as a primary goal of PN + CM in practice.

Missed Opportunities for HIV Testing Among STD Clinic Patients.

Current HIV testing guidelines recommend that all adolescents and adults aged 13-64 be routinely screened for HIV in healthcare settings. Sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic patients represent a population at increased risk for HIV, justifying more frequent risk assessment and testing. This analysis describes missed opportunities for HIV testing among a sample of STD clinic patients to identify areas where HIV testing services may be improved. Secondary analysis was conducted using data from Project AWARE, a randomized trial of 5012 adult patients from 9 STD clinics in the United States, enrolled April-December 2010. HIV testing history, healthcare service utilization, and behavioral risks were obtained through audio computer-assisted self-interview. Missed opportunities for HIV testing, defined as having a healthcare visit but no HIV test in the last 12 months, were characterized by location and frequency. Of 2315 (46.2%) participants not tested for HIV in the last 12 months, 1715 (74.1%) had a missed opportunity for HIV testing. These missed opportunities occurred in both traditional (54.9% at family doctor, 20.3% at other medical doctor visits) and non-traditional (28.5% at dental, 19.0% at eye doctor, 13.9% at correctional facility, and 13.3% at psychology visits) testing settings. Of 53 participants positive for HIV at baseline, 16 (30.2%) had a missed testing opportunity. Missed opportunities for HIV testing were common in this population of STD clinic patients. There is a need to increase routinized HIV screening and expand testing services to a broader range of healthcare settings.