Instacare - Rapid ART Initiation Among Persons With HIV and Out of Care

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to cause significant illness and death in the USA despite availability of effective treatment. People who are aware of their HIV status, but who are out of care and not on medications, are therefore at risk of developing HIV related health problems. In addition, people with HIV who are out of care are at greater risk of transmitting HIV compared to people on HIV treatment with suppressed levels of virus in plasma. To date, there are no interventions that have been shown to successfully link this "out of care" population back into care and successfully maintain viral suppression.

This study will test a strategy of providing immediate HIV therapy drugs, linkage to care, and a randomized intervention (60-minutes for health or diet and nutrition session). The goal of the study is to demonstrate that the 60-Minutes-for-Health intervention improves the rate of viral suppression at 24 weeks.

The use of rapid antiretroviral therapy (rapid ART), defined as the initiation of ART within 7 days of HIV diagnosis, has been associated with improved rates of linkage to care, retention in care and virological suppression after 1 year among persons newly diagnoses with HIV. In addition, the behavioral intervention, "60-Minutes-for-Health", was shown in a pilot study to improve retention in care among PWH-OOC. We aim to undertake a study to evaluate the feasibility of providing rapid-ART to people who are aware of their HIV status, but have been out of care at the time they re-engage in care. In addition, study participants will be randomized to either the "60-Minutes-for-Health" intervention or a 60 minute diet and nutrition control session.

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older;
• Documented HIV infection status (or rapid HIV will be repeated);
• Out-of-care defined as not seen in HIV provider clinic for ≥6 months AND not receiving ART for ≥1 month (by self-report);
• Available for follow-up according to schedule of evaluations.

Exclusion criteria

• Co-morbid condition(s) that in the opinion of the investigator could limit the participant's ability to comply with the visit schedule or safely initiate rapid ART (e.g. psychiatric comorbidities or suspected central nervous system opportunistic infection);
• Prior ART regimens that in the opinion of the investigator precludes selection of a treatment option likely to result in virologic suppression (e.g. documented treatment failure on INSTI based regimen and multiple prior NRTI, NNRTI and PI regimens or documented resistance mutations likely to result in treatment failure)