POC Strategies to Improve TB Care in Advanced HIV Disease
Extrapulmonary TuberculosisTuberculosis3 moreTuberculosis (TB) remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with HIV. Sub-optimal diagnostics contributes towards poor patient outcome and there is an urgent need to identify non-sputum-based point-of-care diagnostic tests. The urine based lateral flow lipoarabinomannan TB diagnostic test (LF-LAM) is a simple, inexpensive point-of-care test. In 2015, the World Health Organization endorsed LF-LAM for conditional use among patients with advanced HIV, but uptake of the test in clinical practices has been poor. The investigators aim to identify point-of-care (POC) strategies that can improve TB case detection and clinical outcomes among patients with advanced HIV. The project includes a main study and two sub-studies. The main study is a multicenter stepped wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial of LF-LAM implementation among patients with advanced HIV with 8-weeks follow-up. LF-LAM will be added to standard care and implemented stepwise at three hospitals in Ghana. Education in national TB treatment guidelines in collaboration with the Tuberculosis Control programme in Ghana, and Clinical audit of clinical staff with feedback, will be used to assess and strengthen LF-LAM implementation. The primary outcome time to TB treatment, for which a sample size of 690 participants will provide >90% power to detect a minimum of 7 days reduction. Secondary outcomes are: TB related morbidity, TB case detection, time to TB diagnosis and overall early mortality at 8 weeks. The HIV-associated TB epidemiology including genotypic analyses of M. tuberculosis isolates obtained through the main study will be described. In sub study A, focused ultrasound of lungs, heart and abdomen will be performed in a sub cohort of 100 participants. In sub study B, the investigators will establish a biobank and data warehouse for storage of blood, urine and sputum samples collected from participants that enter the study at Korle-Bu Teaching hospital. It is expected that LF-LAM will lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of TB. Findings may further guide scaling-up of LF-LAM. The HIV-associated epidemic including genotypic properties and resistance properties which is important for improved management will be detailed. The investigators further expect to evaluate the potential of bedside ultrasound as a clinical tool in management of HIV/TB co-infected patients. The unique Ghanaian HIV-cohort and biobank may facilitate rapid evaluation of future prognostic biomarkers and new point-of-care TB diagnostic tests.
mHealth Technologies to Enhance PrEP Adherence Among Thai MSM
AdherencePatient2 moreThis study aims to: 1) adapt the theory-based P3 (Prepared, Protected, emPowered) app designed to improve pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence, retention in PrEP clinical care, and PrEP persistence among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in the United States for YMSM in Thailand, and 2) conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of the adapted P3-Thailand (P3-T) app.
The Impact of VCT and Condom Distribution as HIV Prevention Strategies Among Youth in Kenya
HIV/AIDSHSV-2 InfectionThe vast majority of new HIV infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 2 million people become infected with HIV/AIDS every year. Forty-five percent of these new HIV infections occur among people under 25 years old, and nearly all of them are due to unprotected sex. Ensuring the adoption of safer sexual behavior among youth is critical to keeping the new generations free of HIV. This research study aims to examine, through a large randomized controlled trial, the impact of two HIV prevention strategies among a youth population in Kenya: Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV (VCT), and condom distribution.
Improving Uptake and Adherence to HIV Prevention Services With Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP),...
HIV/AIDSThe main aim is to develop and assess an intervention to enhance initiation and adherence to PrEP among HIV negative young women of high risk (YWHR). The specific aims are (1) To conduct formative research to enhance our understanding of the dynamics of the social and sexual networks, and context of young HIV-uninfected women (aged 15-24) engaged in high risk sexual behavior in Kampala, Uganda (2) Document barriers and opportunities for PrEP uptake and adherence as well as repeat HIV testing by self test; (3) To develop and test a socially and culturally acceptable and feasible prevention intervention on uptake and adherence to PrEP and HIV self-testing for young women at high risk for HIV.
Implementation of Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing Screening to Identify Acute and Early HIV Infection...
Acute HIV InfectionThe investigators propose to study the impact of nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) screening for acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) infections and Less-Sensitive Enzyme linked Immunoassay (LS-EIA) or 'detuned' testing Vironostika, Trinity Biotech BED, or Ortho-Clinical Diagnostic Vistros ECi for early HIV infection in conjunction with routine rapid HIV testing at HIV counseling and testing sites and venues in the San Diego county. The overarching goal of this study is to develop and implement a system to identify, notify and engage into care those individuals with recent HIV infection in order to better define the HIV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) epidemics in the San Diego county and to evaluate and characterize HIV transmission dynamics within the San Diego population.
Adolescent Impact: A Behavioral Intervention for Adolescents Living With HIV/AIDS
HIV InfectionsThe primary objective of Adolescent Impact is to develop and evaluate a developmentally targeted intervention designed to minimize secondary transmission risk behavior and enhance adherence to care and treatment. The intervention is delivered in 12 sessions (five one-to-one, 7 group) over a 3 month period of time. Intervention is delivered in addition to standard of care treatment at the participant's respective clinic. Participants are randomized to either an intervention or control arm; the control group receives standard of care treatment and control group participants are offered the Adolescent Impact intervention following the completion of the nine-month follow up. It is hypothesized that compared to control group participants, intervention group participants will evidence (1) improved or stable virologic and/or immunologic status, mediated by (a) adherence to prescribed antiretroviral medication and/or (b) adherence to HIV care appointments, and (2) reduction/minimization of secondary transmission risk behaviors to include (a) unprotected sex and/or needle sharing, and (b) sexual and drug use behaviors that increase risk for unprotected sex.
Quality of Life, Sleep, and Biomarkers in People With HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS and InfectionsDisorder Sleep1 moreAim: Evaluate the influence of exercise, in different times, on quality of life, sleep and clinical parameters in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). Methods: Intervention study, prospective.
Rural PrEP Delivery
HIV/AIDSThe goal of this research study is to evaluate the preliminary impact of a public-health-partnered tele-pharmacist model for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery in a rural state ("TelePrEP"). In brief, PrEP involves daily use of a medication (i.e. Truvada) to prevent HIV infection among people at risk for infection due to sexual exposure or needle sharing. In this study, PrEP eligible rural and small urban-dwelling public health clients wil be enrolled in a prospective study to follow their progression through PrEP care following public health referrals. The study will involve a baseline survey to gather data on participant beliefs and attitudes about PrEP and a follow up telephone survey 30-40 days later to ascertain whether participants have engaged in PrEP. Medical records will be requested as a second method to determine whether participants have started PrEP and whether they are still using PrEP after six months. The hypotheses that PrEP initiation and retention are higher in regions with TelePrEP programs will be tested against control regions.
Innovative Strategy to Offer Online Test and Treat for Thai MSM/TG
HIV/AIDSThis study will ask Thai MSM and transgender women (TG) participants to self-select to participate in one of the 3 different study groups which provide various degrees of integrated online interventions and offline interventions for the Recruit-Test-Treat-Retain for HIV prevention and care among 3 groups (A, B1 and B2). All participants will be followed up either offline or online for 12 months. HIV-negative participants will be scheduled for repeat HTC at months 6 and 12. HIV-positive participants will be scheduled either offline or online to review their treatment history at months 6 and 12. HIV-negative participants in Group B1 and B2 can choose again at months 6 and 12 to switch from the online to offline, and vice versa, at the HIV testing/post-test counseling step and the referral to HIV treatment step
Behavioural Text Messages to Improve Retention in Care in South Africa
HIV/AIDSThe proportion of South Africans aware of their HIV status and on treatment remains lower than optimal. The goal of this study is to rapidly determine whether text messages framed according to behavioural economics principles increase clinic attendance among recipients of care on antiretroviral therapy in South Africa. We hypothesize that messages incorporating behavioural economics principles will increase the likelihood of recipients of care attending clinic appointments and returning within 28 days of a missed appointment.