Re:Connect – A Web-Based Tool for Collaborative HIV Care

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant People living with HIV PLHIV experience high rates of mental health and substance use conditions left untreated behavioral health issues can lead to poor health outcomes Research indicates that PLHIV and co occurring behavioral health conditions have lower levels of treatment engagement and adherence and higher rates of HIV related morbidity and mortality Person centered care PCC approaches are being used in behavioral health and HIV primary care settings as a strategy to strengthen client engagement and adherence PCC approaches often require that providers and clients acquire new knowledge and skills and change their attitudes about the nature of the provider client relationship However no web based training tools exist to address co occurring HIV and behavioral health conditions using PCC In response the Center for Social Innovation and the University of Maryland School of Medicine propose to develop and test a Re Connect A Web Based Tool for Collaborative HIV Care an interactive multimedia tool to support the collaborative process of PCC Two versions of the tool will be developed and evaluated one tailored to the needs of HIV care providers and the second to individuals in HIV clinics who may have co occurring behavioral health conditions Both versions of the tool will feature presentations interactive lessons and practice exercises using principles of adult learning Re Connect will guide both providers and PLHIV to develop a more collaborative approach to treatment for HIV and behavioral health services through a series of engaging multimedia exercises and demonstrations The specific aims of the proposed project are to Develop a prototype of Re Connect to enhance HIV treatment engagement and adherence among PLHIV and co occurring behavioral health conditions Conduct pilot testing to determine feasibility acceptability and potential usefulness of using Re Connect to improve treatment engagement and adherence and Synthesize findings to demonstrate proof of concept for Phase II This formative evaluation will use mixed methods to explore the feasibility acceptability and potential usefulness of Re Connect We will recruit HIV treatment providers physicians nurses social workers and PLHIV receiving services at the Evelyn Jordan Center in Baltimore Maryland All participants will access the provider or client version of the online too Research participants will complete surveys at baseline and after completing Re Connect Participants will also participate in semi structured interviews to qualitatively explore their experiences using the tool Data will guide revisions to the tool and inform research design for a larger Phase II study PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Behavioral health conditions are common in people living with HIV and frequently interfere with treatment engagement and adherence We propose to develop and evaluate Re Connect A Web based Tool for Collaborative HIV Care to promote the use of person centered care an approach designed to maximize clientsandapos involvement in their own treatment This interactive tool will support collaborative care by providing clients with targeted education about HIV and behavioral health goal setting and decision making activities and communication strategies