Rapid HIV Viral Load Monitoring in High Risk Patients In Uganda
Rapid HIV Viral Load Monitoring in High Risk Patients In Uganda
The RAPID-VL study will take place in 20 HIV care health facilities in Southwestern Uganda.
 The study will test the hypothesis that a multi-component intervention package that targets
 barriers to efficient and timely HIV viral load (VL) testing will improve test ordering,
 speed up result turnaround times, and improve the quality of VL results counseling to
 patients. Phase 1 of the study will consist of a 1-year retrospective medical record review
 in all participating health facilities. In Phase 2 the intervention will be introduced in 10
 randomly chosen health facilities, while the remaining 10 sites will continue with standard
 VL testing and counseling operations. The study will measure the speed and efficiency of VL
 testing, experiences of patients and clinicians with the intervention, and the cost of the
 intervention.
We will test the hypothesis that a multi-component intervention grounded in implementation
 science principles and that targets key barriers to optimal HIV viral load (VL) processing
 will improve viral load ordering, speed up viral load turnaround, and improve the quality of
 viral load counseling of results to patients within a Ugandan network of HIV care clinics.
 Specific objectives are as follows: Objective 1: Determine the comparative effectiveness of
 the RAPID-VL intervention on VL ordering and VL turnaround time: We will randomize 20 HIV
 clinics to the RAPID-VL multi-component intervention vs. standard of care VL procedures (n=10
 clinics each, 60 patients/health facility). Objective 2: Identify facilitators and barriers
 to implementation, and perceived utility of the RAPID-VL intervention from both the patient
 and clinician perspectives. Objective 3: Determine the costs, cost-effectiveness, and
 incremental change costs of the RAPID-VL intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:

 Phase 1, Intervention and Control Clinics:

 "High risk" subgroups of patients (n=10 each per clinic, total of 40 per clinic):
 registered for care, with a clinic visit within a year of the Phase 1 start date, plus the
 following:

 1. Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Inclusion criteria: (1) pregnant or breastfeeding at
 any time during Phase 1, confirmed by clinic documentation

 2. Children/adolescents: Inclusion criteria: (1) age 2-17 years, (2) no documentation of
 pregnancy in clinical record

 3. Persons with most recent VL unsuppressed (i.e. detectable): Inclusion criteria: (1)
 any age, (2) most recent VL documented in the medical record within the last 1 year,
 with a value of >1000 copies/mL on any assay, (3) no documentation of pregnancy in
 clinical record

 4. Persons with no VL in last one year: Inclusion criteria: (1) any age, (2) last VL is
 dated >1 year ago (if ever started on ART) or no VL on file (if never started ART) (3)
 no documentation of pregnancy in clinical record

 "Non-high-risk" patients (n=20 per clinic): Inclusion criteria (1) adult (age ≥18 years),
 (2) registered for care, with clinic visit within a year of the Phase 1 start date, (3)
 already on ART or starting ART at time of study enrollment, (4) do not meet any of the
 inclusion criteria of a "high risk" subgroup

 Phase 2, Intervention Clinics:

 We will select 60 patients in each of the 10 intervention clinics (600 patients total;
 different than the 60 patients in each clinic studied in Phase 1), with inclusion criteria
 as follows:

 "High risk" subgroups of patients (n=10 each per clinic, total of 40 per clinic):
 registered for care, with a clinic visit within a year of the Phase 2 start date; able to
 consent for study participation; plus the following:

 1. Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Inclusion criteria: (1) currently pregnant or
 breastfeeding, confirmed by clinic standard documentation

 2. Children/adolescents: Inclusion criteria: (1) age 2-17 years, (2) parent/guardian able
 and willing to provide affirmative consent for study participation, except in the case
 of mature or emancipated minors, (3) no documentation of pregnancy in the clinic
 record

 3. Persons with most recent VL unsuppressed: Inclusion criteria: (1) any age, (2) most
 recent VL documented in the medical record within the last 1 year, with a value of
 >1000 copies/mL on any assay, (3) no documentation of pregnancy in the clinical record

 4. Persons with no VL in last 1 year: Inclusion criteria: (1) any age, (2) last VL is
 dated >1 year ago (if ever started ART) or no VL on file (if never started ART , (3)
 no documentation of pregnancy in the clinical record

 "Non-high-risk" patients (n=20 per clinic): Inclusion criteria: (1) adult (age ≥18 years),
 (2) registered in the general HIV clinic, (3) already on ART or starting ART at time of
 study enrollment, (4) do not meet any of the inclusion criteria of a "high risk" subgroup

 Phase 2, Control Clinics:

 We will select 60 patients in each of the 10 control clinics (600 patients total; different
 than the 60 patients in each clinic studied in Phase 1), with inclusion criteria as follows

 "High risk" subgroups of patients (n=10 each per clinic, total of 40 per clinic):
 registered for care, with a clinic visit within a year of the Phase 1 start date; able to
 provide consent; plus the following:

 1. Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Inclusion criteria: (1) pregnant or breastfeeding at
 any time during Phase 2, confirmed by clinic documentation

 2. Children/adolescents: Inclusion criteria: (1) age 2-17 years, (2) parent/guardian able
 and willing to provide affirmative consent for study participation, except in the case
 of mature or emancipated minors, (3) no documentation of pregnancy in clinical record

 3. Persons with most recent VL suppressed: Inclusion criteria: (1) any age, (2) most
 recent VL documented in the medical record within the last 1 year, with a value of
 >1000 copies/mL on any assay, (3) no documentation of pregnancy in clinical record

 4. Persons with no VL in last 1 year: Inclusion criteria: (1) any age, (2) last VL is
 dated >1 year ago (if ever started ART) or no VL on file (if never started ART), (3)
 no documentation of pregnancy in clinical record

 "Non-high-risk" patients (n=20 per clinic): Inclusion criteria: (1) adult (age ≥18 years),
 (2) registered for care, with clinic visit within a year of the Phase 2 start date, (3)
 already on ART or starting ART at time of study enrollment, (4) do not meet any of the
 inclusion criteria of a "high risk" subgroup

 Exclusion criteria: None