Financial Incentives to Promote Linkage to Care and Viral Suppression Following HIV Testing: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- Sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Enrollment
- 99
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Viral suppression at 6 months
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 3 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
This study aims to test if small incentives promote linkage to care and 6-month viral suppression among individuals recently tested for HIV at selected sites within Johannesburg, South Africa. Individuals who obtain a reactive HIV test result will be randomized to receive either the standard of care (SOC) for linkage to care or to receive financial incentives for confirmatory testing, linkage to care and viral suppression.
Detailed Description
This study is in collaboration with Ezintsha, a sub-division of Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WRHI) in South Africa. This study will leverage on the existing research infrastructure of Ezintsha, including, HIVSS testing through the STAR initiative (Self-Test Africa), as well as HIV positive persons identified through other Ezintsha research studies and at Eztinsha affiliated health clinics. This study will use a randomized trial design to test the effectiveness of incentives to increase confirmatory testing, linkage to care and viral suppression. The aim of this study is to determine whether HIV-infected men and women are more likely to achieve or maintain HIV virologic suppression if offered financial incentives vs. no incentives (standard of care). Individuals who report receiving a reactive HIVSS test result on the STAR programme, or a HIV reactive test in another research study or at a affiliated clinic, will be randomized into one of two groups: a) a control group that receives the standard of care (SOC) for linkage to care; and b) an intervention group that receives financial incentives for confirmatory testing, linkage to care, and viral suppression.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Reported HIV positive
- •Have a personal and/or valid phone number, that will remain active for 6 months
- •Have a phone with WhatsApp, or text message feature
- •Understand the Informed Consent form
Exclusion Criteria
- •Unwilling to provide informed consent
- •Any condition which would make the participant unsuitable or unsafe for enrollment, i.e. being unable to see or read by forgetting to bring reading glasses, being intoxicated or acute sickness
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Viral suppression at 6 months
Time Frame: approximately 6 months
Viral suppression (plasma HIV RNA \<400 copies/mL) at approximately 6 months after a positive HIV result
Secondary Outcomes
- Confirmatory testing(approximately 4 weeks)
- ART initiation(approximately 4 weeks)