At Achieving Together, we recognize that increasing medication adherence and retention in care among people living with HIV is a necessary component of ending the HIV epidemic. Here in Texas, 70% of people living with HIV were retained in treatment and care in 2019. Of those retained in care in 2019, 86% achieved viral suppression. Under the Achieving Together Plan, Texas’ goals by 2030 are for 90% of people living with HIV to be retained in care and treatment and for 90% of those retained in care to achieve viral suppression. Given this is where Texas sits in the HIV epidemic, Achieving Together encourages HIV providers, community organizations and institutions to look for resources which support capacity building activities across the HIV continuum. One such resource is the Center for Innovation and Engagement (CIE).
NASTAD recently launched a new resource to help HIV providers address concerns related to retention in care. The Center for Innovation and Engagement (CIE) website, which is supported by the HRSA HAB Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Branch, shares innovative, evidence-informed interventions that support linkage, re-engagement, and retention in care to help end the HIV epidemic. Watch this welcome video to learn more about the project’s goals:
Here’s how NASTAD describes the website:
“CIE serves as a culmination of the collaboration between NASTAD, Northwestern University, Howard Brown Health Center, and Impact Marketing + Communications to identify some of the most effective evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions available and transform them into actionable tools, innovative frameworks, and adaptable resources. Our website showcases a myriad of innovative intervention how-to-guides that are “ready to replicate,” our process for selecting innovative approaches, and much more!
An example intervention that is available now is the Bilingual/Bicultural Care Team intervention. This intervention provides an opportunity to engage and retain Hispanic/Latinx adults with HIV by offering culturally and linguistically appropriate care services, leading to improved retention in HIV care and viral suppression. The intervention was modeled after a program developed by the Truman Medical Center (TMC) in Kansas City, Missouri during the years of 2005-2006. TMC experienced a significant increase in clients scheduling and keeping appointments, from a mean of 2.81 to 5.30 visits per year. The viral suppression rate among clients who met the criteria for ARV therapy increased by 31.5 percent.”
To support the real-world replication of the cataloged interventions, CIE provides steps for implementation and resources such as, but not limited to, replication tips, job aids, a cost calculator, and technical assistance.
Have you explored this website yet? Did it help generate any new ideas? Tell us about it!