MedPath

Antiretroviral Speed Access Program

Recruiting
Conditions
HIV Infection
Interventions
Behavioral: Patient Experience
Registration Number
NCT04897243
Lead Sponsor
Dr. Bertrand Lebouche
Brief Summary

Migrant populations represent an increasing proportion of newly referred people living with HIV in Canada, particularly in Quebec. Timely HIV care of newly referred patients has important individual-level health benefits that can result in decreased transmission and benefit the society as a whole. Yet, the timing of events in the HIV care cascade (from linkage to care to sustained viral suppression) together with the specific experience of care of these vulnerable populations (asylum-seekers, international students, patients with no status) who often face specific psycho-social and/or financial issues, has rarely been studied. In particular, little is known about their experience of HIV care whether they are referred to a multidisciplinary clinic or a physician-only clinic.

In a context where B/F/TAF will be provided free-of-charge to all enrolled participants including migrant populations, we aim to investigate what model of care can best address current deficiencies in the standard HIV care cascade for newly-referred patients, which often involves delays in linkage to care and starting ART.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
75
Inclusion Criteria
  1. 18 years or older
  2. Newly referred at the study site
  3. HIV-1 infected (fourth generation HIV Ag/Ab combination assay)
  4. Treatment-naïve to all anti-HIV therapy, except for the use for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), up to one month prior to screening
  5. Estimated GFR >30 mL/min/1.73m2 according to the Cockcroft-Gault formula for creatinine clearance
  6. Must be willing and able to understand the requirements of study participation and provide signed and dated written informed consent prior to screening
  7. Female participants who are willing to use acceptable methods of birth control as defined in the protocol
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Have received anti-HIV therapy previously, except for PrEP or PEP taken up to one month prior to screening
  2. Viral load <100 copies/mL, high suspicion of non-reported ART use or being a long-term nonprogressor or elite controller
  3. Concomitant use of drugs with contraindication or drug-drug interactions with B/F/TAF
  4. Documented historic or baseline allergy to any of the components of B/F/TAF
  5. Estimated eGFR (by Cockcroft-Gault formula) < 30 mL/min
  6. Pregnant, breast-feeding or planning or suspected to get pregnant
  7. Involvement in any other interventional HIV studies during the study period
  8. Has any reason, in the opinion of the investigator, which would make the candidate inappropriate for participation in an investigative study involving oral medications

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Multidisciplinary model of careBiktarvyThe Chronic Viral Illness Service at the Glen hospital of the MUHC will provide care with a multidisciplinary assessment, according to local current standard practice. Each newly-referred patient at the CVIS will be first received by a dedicated nurse, who then orients referral to a physician and/or a social worker and/or a pharmacist.
Physician-only model of careBiktarvyThe Jewish General Hospital will provide care as per current local standard practice. Each newly-referred patient will be assessed by a clinician. Blood tests will be performed by central laboratory nurses who are not part of the HIV clinic.
Multidisciplinary model of carePatient ExperienceThe Chronic Viral Illness Service at the Glen hospital of the MUHC will provide care with a multidisciplinary assessment, according to local current standard practice. Each newly-referred patient at the CVIS will be first received by a dedicated nurse, who then orients referral to a physician and/or a social worker and/or a pharmacist.
Physician-only model of carePatient ExperienceThe Jewish General Hospital will provide care as per current local standard practice. Each newly-referred patient will be assessed by a clinician. Blood tests will be performed by central laboratory nurses who are not part of the HIV clinic.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in perceived provider empathyChange through study completion, an average of 2 years by model of care

The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure

Change in perceived problem solvingChange through study completion, an average of 2 years by model of care

Subscale of the Patient-Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) measure. The PACIC consists of 5 scales and an overall summary score. Items 12 to 15 are about "Problem Solving/Contextual"; each can be scored from 1 to 5 (higher scores mean a better outcome and lower scores mean a worse outcome).

Change in treatment satisfactionChange through study completion, an average of 2 years by model of care

HIV Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (HIVTSQ). The revised version of the HIVTSQ-status contains 10 items (Woodcock et al., 2006). Items are rated from 0 to 6, with response options adjusted to the item (higher scores mean a better outcome and lower scores mean a worse outcome).

Perceived unmet healthcare needsChange through study completion, an average of 2 years by model of care

Question taken from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 2.1)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in appointment attendanceBetween weeks 1 and 96

Attendance to each scheduled study visit (+- 7 days or +- 14 days)

Time to viral suppressionFrom weeks 1 to 96

Time to viral suppression (i.e. less than 50 copies/ml), from treatment initiation, by model of care

Change in adherence to ARTBetween weeks 1 and 96

Based on pill counts each time a patient returns for refills

Change in self-reported adherence to ARTChange through study completion, an average of 2 years by model of care

Self-reported ART in the past 30 days

Time to treatment initiationFrom first clinic appointment (prior to week 1)

Days between the first appointment at the clinic and first patient-reported dose of ART

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

🇨🇦

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath