Intervention to Retain HIV-positive Patients in Medical Care

PROJECT OVERVIEW This research is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and six university-affiliated HIV clinics in the United States. Study title: Intervention Trials to Retain HIV Patients in Medical Care Study sites: The study will be performed at six HIV clinics affiliated with academic medical centers. Objectives: Using HIV patients' clinical data (without personal identifiers) routinely archived in electronic databases at the six participating clinics do the following: • To examine the extent to which a client-centered intervention delivered by trained interventionists (Phase 2 trial of the project) improves patient attendance for HIV primary care over and above the effect of the clinic-wide intervention. Phase 2 is a three-arm randomized controlled trial conducted at each of the participating six clinics. 300 patients will be enrolled in the Phase 2 trial at each clinic. One hundred will be new patients and 200 will be patients with inconsistent attendance for HIV primary care at the clinic in the prior 12 months. Patients will be randomized to: (1) an enhanced contact plus behavioral skills arm or (2) an enhanced contact-only arm in which patients will receive a longer or a shorter client-centered intervention from two trained interventionists, or (3) the standard of care arm in which patients will receive the clinic-wide intervention and routine HIV clinical care only.