Project SPEED - Streamlined Protocol for Early Engagement and Delivery of HIV Prevention With Long-acting Injectable Cabotegravir: A Nurse-driven Protocol

Project SPEED (Streamlined Protocol for Early Engagement and Delivery of HIV Prevention) is a pragmatic, cluster randomized implementation study evaluating a nurse-driven model for delivering long-acting injectable cabotegravir (LAI-CAB) for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) within local public health departments (LPHDs) in Missouri. Although LAI-CAB is a highly effective HIV prevention strategy, access remains limited in many rural and resource-constrained settings due to workforce shortages and barriers to specialty care. In this study, LPHDs are randomized to either implement a structured nurse-led PrEP delivery protocol (SPEED intervention) or continue current standard practices. At intervention sites, trained registered nurses assess PrEP eligibility, provide HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, administer LAI-CAB injections under standing orders, and support ongoing follow-up as part of routine public health services. Control sites continue their usual workflows without additional training or standardized PrEP delivery processes introduced by the study. The study uses an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type III design and is guided by established implementation science frameworks to evaluate reach, adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the nurse-driven model. Participants receiving care at participating LPHDs are followed for up to 48 weeks. Project SPEED aims to generate real-world evidence on whether a nurse-driven approach can expand access to long-acting HIV prevention in public health settings, particularly in rural and underserved communities, and to inform scalable strategies for broader implementation of LAI-CAB PrEP.