Approaches to Promoting Linkage to and Retention in HIV Care in the United States: a Scoping Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Linkage to and retention in HIV care, as conceptualized in the HIV care continuum, remain critical steps towards achieving and maintaining viral suppression. We evaluated recently published (Jan 2018-Nov 2020) peer-reviewed clinical trials of linkage to and retention in care outcomes in the United States. RECENT FINDINGS: We identified 12 trials evaluating linkage to and retention in care outcomes in the United States. Most trials did not adhere to standardized definitions or metrics for linkage to or retention in HIV care, hindering comparisons between studies. Four interventions indicated improvements on linkage to or retention in HIV care at follow-up, relying on behavioral incentives and/or case management as key intervention strategies. We recommend the adoption standardize metrics across linkage and retention trials, and the future use of implementation science frameworks to identify implementation facilitators and barriers, and evaluate key strategies associated with improvements in linkage to and retention in care.