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Evaluating Methods to Increase HIV Testing, Access to HIV Care, and HIV Prevention Strategies

TLC-Plus: A Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of an Enhanced Test, Link to Care, Plus Treat Approach for HIV Prevention in the United States

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01152918
Enrollment
18442
Registered
2010-06-29
Start date
2010-09-30
Completion date
2014-12-31
Last updated
2025-04-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

HIV Infection

Keywords

HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HIV Test and Treat Model of Prevention, ART for Prevention, Prevention for HIV Positives, Financial Incentives, Computer-delivered risk-reduction counseling

Brief summary

This is a five-part study that will take place in the Bronx, New York (NY), and Washington, District of Columbia (DC). The different components of the study will focus on increasing the number of people being tested for HIV, evaluating ways to link HIV-infected people to HIV care sites, evaluating methods to reinforce antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and evaluating a counseling program that focuses on HIV prevention. (Details for only three components of this study are included in ClinicalTrials.gov (Linkage-to-Care, Viral Suppression and Prevention for Positives) because they are the only ones that were randomized and had prescriptive interventions.)

Detailed description

The five components of the study include the following: Expanded HIV Testing: The purpose of this part of the study is to increase the number of people being tested for HIV. In select study sites in the Bronx, NY, and Washington, D.C., HIV testing will be expanded in emergency departments (EDs) and upon hospital admission. The study will provide additional resources to expand outreach and marketing efforts in these communities. This part of the study will take place over 36 months. Linkage-to-Care: This part of the study will take place over a 24-month period. The purpose is to compare the effectiveness of a financial incentive (FI) program to link HIV-infected people from HIV test sites to HIV care sites versus standard of care (SOC). Each HIV test site will be randomly assigned to either the FI program or SOC. At the FI sites, people who receive an HIV positive test result will receive a coupon that can be redeemed for gift cards at participating HIV care sites. Viral Suppression: This part of the study will assess the effectiveness of an FI program at helping HIV-infected people achieve and maintain a viral load of less than 400 copies/mL compared to SOC. Each HIV care site will be randomly assigned to either the FI program or SOC. At the FI sites, HIV-infected people will receive gift cards if their viral load remains below 400 copies/mL. People are eligible to receive FIs once every 3 months throughout the 24-month study period. Prevention for Positives: The purpose of this component of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-delivered counseling program that focuses on HIV risk reduction behaviors for HIV-infected people. Participants will be randomly assigned to the counseling program and SOC or SOC alone. All participants will answer questions on the computer about HIV testing and care at baseline and Months 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18. Study researchers will review participants' medical records at study entry and every 3 months up to Month 18. Survey of Patients and Providers: Participants in the Prevention for Positives component of the study will complete a computerized survey at the baseline and Month 12 visit, which will assess knowledge and attitudes about ART. Health care providers at the HIV care sites will complete Web-based surveys before and after the Viral Suppression component of the study.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALLinkage-to-Care Component: Financial Incentive (FI)

Test sites assigned to this arm will provide coupons to all people who are found to be HIV-infected after testing and who are not already linked to HIV care. The coupons can be redeemed at a participating HIV care site for gift cards.

BEHAVIORALLinkage-to-Care Component: Standard of Care (SOC)

Each person who receives an HIV positive test result, and is not currently in care, will be directed to HIV care sites using the site's SOC procedures.

BEHAVIORALViral Suppression Component: FI

HIV-infected participants who are receiving ART will be offered FIs upon the confirmation of each suppressed viral load measurement (less than 400 copies/mL).

BEHAVIORALViral Suppression Component: SOC

HIV-infected participants who are receiving ART will be offered support via the site's SOC procedures to attend HIV care site visits and remain adherent to their ART regimen in order to achieve and maintain viral load suppression.

BEHAVIORALPrevention for Positives Component: Counseling and SOC

Participants will complete a computer-delivered counseling program that emphasizes HIV prevention strategies for HIV-infected people.

BEHAVIORALPrevention for Positives Component: SOC

Participants will receive SOC from their HIV care site.

Sponsors

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
CollaboratorNIH
HIV Prevention Trials Network
Lead SponsorNETWORK

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion/

Exclusion criteria

for Linkage-to-Care Component: The Linkage-to-Care component of the study will include all individuals ages 12 and older who are permitted to consent, or can be consented for HIV care by a parent/legal guardian according to New York State or Washington, D.C. law, and who are newly found to be HIV-positive at HIV test sites participating in the study. This study component will also include individuals who have been previously diagnosed with HIV but have been out of care for at least a year and are reconfirmed for HIV infection by standard laboratory tests Inclusion/

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Prevention for Positives Component: Proportion of participants reporting any unprotected vaginal or anal sex in the previous 3 monthsMeasured at Month 12 and 18
Viral Suppression Component: Cost of program, including staffing, infrastructure, and incentivesMeasured at Month 24
Viral Suppression Component: Probability of an HIV-infected patient in care at a site having a suppressed viral load (less than 400 copies/mL) in the 12-month calendar assessment period beginning 12 months after initiation of the assessment periodMeasured at Month 24
Viral Suppression Component: Number of identified HIV-infected patients in care who have sustained viral suppressionMeasured at Month 24
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Number and results of HIV tests per month in publicly funded testing sites (local health department data)Measured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Number, transmission category, and testing source of newly identified cases in HIV surveillance dataMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Initial CD4 cell count of newly identified HIV cases in surveillance dataMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Number of newly identified HIV cases concomitantly diagnosed with AIDS in surveillance dataMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Proportion of persons in the community tested for HIV in the last year (local population-based behavioral surveys)Measured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Proportion and number of total ED visits and admissions to hospital where patients receive HIV testingMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Number of HIV tests in EDs where HIV infection is newly identifiedMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Number of HIV tests in hospital admissions where patients receive HIV testingMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Proportion of hospital admissions who have newly identified HIV infectionMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Number of tested patients identified with previously diagnosed HIV who are not in careMeasured at Month 36
Expanded HIV Testing Component: Cost of support for additional staff and HIV testsMeasured at Month 36
Linkage-to-Care Component: Number of individuals eligible for incentives and number of individuals receiving incentives (upon linkage to HIV care) at participating sitesMeasured at Month 24
Linkage-to-Care Component: Cost of the program, including staffing, infrastructure, and incentivesMeasured at Month 24
Linkage-to-Care Component: Proportion of HIV-infected people at each site with newly detected HIV infection or who were previously diagnosed but were out of care, and who are presently linked to careMeasured at Month 24
Linkage-to-Care Component: Mean time interval at each site from HIV diagnosis (Western Blot confirmation) to first CD4 cell count or viral load for those with newly detected HIV infection and those who were previously diagnosed but were out of careMeasured at Month 24
Linkage-to-Care Component: Proportion of HIV-infected people at a testing site with at least two CD4 cell count and viral load measurements in the prior yearMeasured at Month 24
Viral Suppression Component: Number of individuals eligible for incentives and receiving incentives at a select subset of sites for select time pointsMeasured at Month 24

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Prevention for Positives Component: Number of sex partners with whom the participant had unprotected sex in the previous 3 monthsMeasured at Month 12 and 18
Prevention for Positives Component: Number of persons with whom the participant shared needles after self use in the previous 3 monthsMeasured at Month 12 and 18
Prevention for Positives Component: Number of sex partners of discordant or unknown HIV status with whom participant had unprotected vaginal or anal sex in the previous 3 monthsMeasured at Month 12 and 18

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 26, 2026