There are low levels of continuity of HIV medical care and viral suppression and high rates of HCV among people who inject drugs (PWID). The proposed study is an RCT to improve health outcomes and reduce risk behaviors among HIV/HCV co-infected PWID and their social network members. The experimental condition is a small-group and dyadic based intervention to train HIV/HCV co-infected PWID in communication and adherence skills and to recruit their social networks for HIV/HCV testing and promote HIV medical care adherence, facilitate HCV treatment, and HIV/HCV risk reduction. The intervention will employ a mhealth approach to cue behaviors and address barriers to adherence. PWID will be trained to use mobile technology, specifically SMS, to promote testing and risk reduction to their social network members. The intervention is designed to be low cost, easily integrated into a variety of medical care settings. We propose recruiting 300 HIV/HCV co-infected PWID who have had an interruption in HIV care within the prior two years. Half will be randomly assigned to the experimental condition and half to the equal attention control. The experimental intervention will include 8 group sessions that focus on adherence skills and peer education, 2 dyad sessions with network members, monthly booster sessions for 6 months, and mhealth cuing of behavior for 6 months. These Index participants will be followed for 24 months (3, 6, 12, 18, & 24 month assessments) including biweekly assessments using personalized SMS (text messages to assess adherence to medical appointments and to cue skills for adhering to HIV medications). Control Indexes will also be followed for 24 months. Index participants will be linked to the Johns Hopkins HCV co-infection clinic to assess liver function and HCV chronicity. To assess HIV medication adherence, we will use surveys, plasma ARV assays, CD4 counts, viral load, and unannounced pill counts via SMS. Those meeting medical criteria will be offered HCV treatment. Additionally, 450 HCV positive network members will be recruited, tested for HIV and HCV, and followed longitudinally to examine the social diffusion of HCV/HIV treatment uptake, adherence, and risk reduction.

Public Health Relevance

Continuity of HIV medical care is a critical public health issue and few interventions have addressed it. HCV testing, prevention, and treatment are also key public health issues. There are also few medication interventions for people who use drugs. With the availability of new HCV treatments greater scientific information is needed on barriers to care and adherence.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA040488-05
Application #
9883765
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Consequences of HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSCH)
Program Officer
Flournoy Floyd, Minnjuan Wyncephel
Project Start
2015-08-01
Project End
2021-02-28
Budget Start
2020-03-01
Budget End
2021-02-28
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2020
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21205
Smith, M K; Graham, M; Latkin, C A et al. (2018) Quantifying potentially infectious sharing patterns among people who inject drugs in Baltimore, USA. Epidemiol Infect 146:1845-1853
Latkin, Carl A; Edwards, Catie; Davey-Rothwell, Melissa A et al. (2018) The relationship between drug use settings, roles in the drug economy, and witnessing a drug overdose in Baltimore, Maryland. Subst Abus :1-6
Smith, M Kumi; Graham, Matthew; Latkin, Carl A et al. (2018) Using Contact Patterns to Inform HIV Interventions in Persons Who Inject Drugs in Northern Vietnam. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 78:1-8
Rao, Amrita; Tobin, Karin; Davey-Rothwell, Melissa et al. (2017) Social Desirability Bias and Prevalence of Sexual HIV Risk Behaviors Among People Who Use Drugs in Baltimore, Maryland: Implications for Identifying Individuals Prone to Underreporting Sexual Risk Behaviors. AIDS Behav 21:2207-2214