Exploring the Impact of Alcohol and Other Drug Use on HIV Care Among African American Older Adults Living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract For people living with HIV, there are multiple barriers to engagement with care. This study qualitatively examines the role of use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) on the health and management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease among older African Americans (≥50 years). It draws on interviews conducted with twenty-seven older African Americans living with HIV in the Louisville, Kentucky area. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using constructivist grounded theory analytic techniques. Participants’ understandings of their AOD use fell on a continuum of problematic use to use for self-care. Regardless of where participants fell on this continuum, they faced a) environmental impacts of AOD use and b) current or historic discrimination from the health care system. The analysis focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the intersection of AOD use and engagement in the HIV care continuum. This revealed six major phases, which occurred at various stages of the continuum: (1) Linking AOD use as the cause of HIV diagnosis (2) Having AOD use facilitate denial of HIV, (3) Experiencing problematic use, (4) “Testing the Waters,” (5) Relying on AIDS Service Organizations (ASO) and medical providers and (6) Maintaining health and/or using AOD for self-care. We discuss the ways that stigma along the lines of race, gender, and age intersect with co-occurring conditions such as substance use disorders in complex and multifaceted ways. Recommendations include assessing a patients’ AOD use in relationship to the HIV care continuum to assess patients’ experiences and barriers within systems of care.

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Barriers to HIV care among Francophone African, Caribbean and Black immigrant people living with HIV in Canada: a protocol for a scoping systematic review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027440 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e027440 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pascal Djiadeu ◽

Joseph Nguemo ◽

Chantal Mukandoli ◽

Apondi J Odhiambo ◽

David Lightfoot ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Social Determinant ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Published Data ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Care Continuum ◽

Care Continuum ◽

French Speaking ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

The Impact

IntroductionLanguage is a social determinant of health. Addressing social determinants of health is paramount to successful progression along the HIV-care continuum. Canada is a bilingual country with French and English as official languages. There are few studies to date that have focused on the impact of being a French-speaking linguistic minority on the HIV-care continuum. The primary objective of this scoping, systematic review of literature is to evaluate existing gaps in access to HIV- care among French-speaking people living with HIV in Canada. Our primary outcome is healthcare services availability and access for French- speaking people living with HIV.Methods and analysesOur scoping, systematic review will draw on a systematic search of published literature, both quantitative and qualitative studies published on French-speaking individuals' healthcare and HIV status in Canada, with particular emphasis on the province of Ontario. We will conduct our search in MEDLINE, the Excerpta Medica Database, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, EBSCO and Google Scholar for work published between 1990 and 2018. Identified articles will be screened in duplicate and full-text articles of relevant studies will be retrieved. Data will also be extracted by two researchers working independently. Any discrepancies that arise will be resolved by consensus or by consulting a third author. Our findings will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.Ethics and disseminationOur proposed research will not be conducted with human participants. We will only use secondary published data and therefore ethics approval is not required. Our findings will be disseminated as peer reviewed manuscripts at conferences and student rounds, and could be of interest to government health agencies and local HIV/AIDS service organisations.

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Influence of Material Deprivation on Clinical Outcomes Among People Living with HIV in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

AIDS and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10461-021-03551-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vasiliki Papageorgiou ◽

Bethan Davies ◽

Emily Cooper ◽

Ariana Singer ◽

Helen Ward

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Hiv Treatment ◽

Material Deprivation ◽

Hiv Care ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Care Continuum ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Living With Hiv

AbstractDespite developments in HIV treatment and care, disparities persist with some not fully benefiting from improvements in the HIV care continuum. We conducted a systematic review to explore associations between social determinants and HIV treatment outcomes (viral suppression and treatment adherence) in high-income countries. A random effects meta-analysis was performed where there were consistent measurements of exposures. We identified 83 observational studies eligible for inclusion. Social determinants linked to material deprivation were identified as education, employment, food security, housing, income, poverty/deprivation, socioeconomic status/position, and social class; however, their measurement and definition varied across studies. Our review suggests a social gradient of health persists in the HIV care continuum; people living with HIV who reported material deprivation were less likely to be virologically suppressed or adherent to antiretrovirals. Future research should use an ecosocial approach to explore these interactions across the lifecourse to help propose a causal pathway.

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The Impact of Cumulative Depression Along the HIV Care Continuum in Women Living With HIV During the Era of Universal Antiretroviral Treatment

JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes ◽

10.1097/qai.0000000000002140 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 225-233 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jon C. Mills ◽

Brian W. Pence ◽

Andrew Edmonds ◽

Adebola Adedimeji ◽

Rebecca M. Schwartz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiretroviral Treatment ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Hiv Care Continuum ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Women Living With Hiv ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

The Impact

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HIV Care Continuum and COVID-19 Outcomes Among People Living with HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Chicago, IL

AIDS and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10461-020-02905-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (10) ◽

pp. 2770-2772 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jessica P. Ridgway ◽

Jessica Schmitt ◽

Eleanor Friedman ◽

Michelle Taylor ◽

Samantha Devlin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hiv Care ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Care Continuum ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Living With Hiv

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1322. A Mobile Technology-Based Intervention Improves HIV Care Continuum for Young People Living with HIV

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofz360.1185 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. S478-S478

Author(s):

Ping Du ◽

John Zurlo ◽

Tarek Eshak ◽

Tonya Crook ◽

Cynthia Whitener

Keyword(s):

Mobile Technology ◽

Viral Suppression ◽

Retention In Care ◽

Hiv Care ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Care Continuum ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Hiv Viral Suppression ◽

Study Participants ◽

Living With Hiv

Abstract Background Young people living with HIV (YPLWH) have lower rates of retention in care and HIV viral suppression. Multiple barriers exist to engage YPLWH in care. As nearly all YPLWH use their mobile phones to access health information and to communicate with other people, we implemented a mobile technology-based intervention with the goal to improve HIV care continuum in YPLWH. Methods YPLWH were eligible for this study if they were: (1) aged 18–34 years; (2) newly diagnosed with HIV; (3) having a history of being out of care; or (4) not virally suppressed. We recruited YPLWH during January 2017-May 2018 and followed them every 6 months. We developed a HIPAA-compliant mobile application, “OPT-In For Life,” and let participants use this app to manage their HIV care. The app integrated multiple features that enabled users to communicate with the HIV treatment team via a secure messaging function, to access laboratory results and HIV prevention resources, and to set up appointment or medication reminders. We obtained participants’ demographics, app-usage data, and medical records to evaluate if this mobile technology-based intervention would improve HIV care continuum among YPLWH. We used a quasi-experiment study design to compare the rates of retention in care and HIV viral suppression every 6 months between study participants and YPLWH who were eligible but not enrolled in the study. Results 92 YPLWH participated in this study (70% male, 56% Hispanics or Blacks, 54% retained in care, and 66% virally suppressed at baseline). On average study participants used the app 1–2 times/week to discuss various health issues and supportive services with HIV providers, to access HIV-related health information, and to manage their HIV care. At the 6-month evaluation, compared with 88 eligible YPLWH who were not enrolled in this intervention, study participants had increased rates of retention in care (baseline-to-6-month between participants and nonparticipants: 54%–84% vs. 26%–25%) and HIV viral suppression (66%–80% vs. 56%–60%). Conclusion Our study demonstrates using a HIPAA-compliant mobile app as an effective intervention to engage YPLWH in care. This intervention can be adapted by other HIV programs to improve HIV care continuum for YPLWH or broader HIV populations. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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Efficacy and Impact of Digital HIV Care Navigation in Young People Living With HIV in San Francisco, California: Prospective Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18597 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sean Arayasirikul ◽

Caitlin Turner ◽

Dillon Trujillo ◽

Victory Le ◽

Erin C Wilson

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Young People ◽

San Francisco ◽

Text Messaging ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Care Continuum ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND Young people are disproportionately impacted by HIV infection and exhibit poor HIV care continuum outcomes. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are promising approaches to meet the unique needs of young people living with HIV. Youth-focused interventions are needed to improve HIV care continuum outcomes. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the preliminary efficacy and impact of a digital HIV care navigation intervention among young people living with HIV in San Francisco. Health electronic navigation (eNavigation or eNav) is a 6-month, text message–based, digital HIV care navigation intervention, in which young people living with HIV are connected to their own HIV care navigator through text messaging to improve engagement in HIV primary care. METHODS This study had a single-arm, prospective, pre-post design. The analysis included 120 young men who have sex with men or transwomen living with HIV aged between 18 and 34 years. We analyzed self-reported sociobehavioral information pre- and postintervention at baseline and 6 months, which was collected using computer-assisted self-interviewing surveys. We characterized the sample and built generalized estimating equation (GEE) models to assess differences in HIV care continuum outcomes at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS The characteristics according to the intervention completion status were not different from those of the overall sample. The mean age of the participants was 27.75 years (SD 4.07). Most participants (103/120, 85.8%) identified as men, and the sample was racially/ethnically diverse. At baseline, majority (99/120, 82.5%) of the participants had recently received primary HIV care, yet this was more likely in those who completed the intervention than in those who did not (54/60, 90% vs 45/60, 75%; χ21=4.68, P=.03). More than half of the sample reported taking antiretroviral therapy (92/120, 76.7%) and having an undetectable viral load (65/120, 54.2%). The 6-month follow-up surveys were completed by 73.3% (88/120) of participants, and these participants were not characteristically different from the overall sample at baseline. GEE models indicated that participants had increased odds of viral suppression at 6 months as compared with baseline. No relevant additive or multiplicative interactions were noted on comparing outcome effects over time according to intervention completion. CONCLUSIONS Digital HIV care navigation fills a critical gap in public health and HIV care systems, making these systems more responsive and accountable to the needs of the most vulnerable individuals. Our intervention bridges the time between primary care visits with interactive, tailored, personalized, and peer-delivered social support; information; and motivational interviewing to scaffold behavioral change. This study is part of the next wave of system-informed mHealth intervention research that will offer potentially disruptive solutions to traditional in-person delivered interventions and improve the health of the most vulnerable individuals. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/16406

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