HIGHLIGHTS
- Adoption of evidence-informed HIV care interventions has been limited.
- Identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation can increase intervention uptake.
- Abt and Boston University will deliver a multi-year/site implementation study.
The Challenge
Approaches to link and retain vulnerable people living with HIV (PLWH) in HIV primary care are critical to ending the HIV epidemic. While evidence-informed interventions exist, they have not been broadly adopted. That’s why the Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau Special Projects of National Significance funded a five-year project to create four Care and Treatment Interventions (CATIs) implementation manuals. CATIs will integrate implementation science and patient outcome research to facilitate rapid intervention uptake without extensive training or technical assistance.
The Approach
Using the Proctor Model for Implementation Research evaluation framework, the DEC is studying four interventions to improve HIV health outcomes for PLWH using:
- peers and patient navigators to engage women of color in care.
- transitional care coordination to link incarcerated PLWH to care upon release.
- buprenorphine in HIV primary care.
To execute the mixed methods evaluation, the DEC designed and implemented tools, including client encounter forms, audio recording fidelity checklists, key informant interviews and demonstration site-level monthly reports.
The Results
The DEC collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to produce Care and Treatment Intervention (CATI) implementation manuals, a series of case studies, and sustainability and evaluation briefs to support rapid uptake and implementation of the interventions across Ryan White care settings.
CATI Manuals:
- Peer Linkage and Re-Engagement of Women of Color with HIV
- Enhanced Patient Navigation for Women of Color with HIV
- Integrating Buprenorphine Treatment into HIV Primary Care
- Transitional Care Coordination from Jail Intake to HIV Primary Care