Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals
Objective Eliminating HIV transmission worldwide could become a reality with the advent of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) where people take HIV medication to prevent HIV acquisition. Incorporating digital health into PrEP provision could help services scale up and meet increasing demand. We aim...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Digital Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231217816 |
| _version_ | 1797434918406455296 |
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| author | Ross Kincaid Jo Gibbs Jenny Dalrymple Lindsay Henderson Jamie Frankis Claudia Estcourt |
| author_facet | Ross Kincaid Jo Gibbs Jenny Dalrymple Lindsay Henderson Jamie Frankis Claudia Estcourt |
| author_sort | Ross Kincaid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective Eliminating HIV transmission worldwide could become a reality with the advent of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) where people take HIV medication to prevent HIV acquisition. Incorporating digital health into PrEP provision could help services scale up and meet increasing demand. We aimed to explore the prospective acceptability of a novel online PrEP care pathway (the ePrEP clinic) among PrEP users and healthcare professionals. The ePrEP clinic is composed of online postal self-sampling for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, an online consultation, and remote medication provision. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 PrEP users recruited from a large sexual health service and online cohort, and focus groups with nine healthcare professionals from the same sexual health service (May to December 2021). We analysed data using framework analysis. Results Participants found the ePrEP clinic highly acceptable, anticipating that it would provide convenience, empower PrEP users, and increase capacity within sexual health services. The need for blood self-sampling was a considerable barrier for some. Participants anticipated that the ePrEP clinic would be appropriate for established PrEP users with adequate digital health literacy and no medically significant conditions requiring in-clinic monitoring. Participants highlighted the need for support, including access to in-clinic care, and the integration of the ePrEP clinic within existing services. Conclusions Our findings provide clear justification for the development of the ePrEP clinic as an addition to in-clinic PrEP care pathways and provide useful insights for those developing digital services for other conditions incorporating testing, consultations, and prescribing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:39:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d0c625e96174995bb5b81f9219a71e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-2076 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:39:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d0c625e96174995bb5b81f9219a71e32023-12-01T16:33:39ZengSAGE PublishingDigital Health2055-20762023-12-01910.1177/20552076231217816Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionalsRoss Kincaid0Jo Gibbs1Jenny Dalrymple2Lindsay Henderson3Jamie Frankis4Claudia Estcourt5 , Glasgow, UK Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK , Glasgow, UK Sandyford Sexual Health Service, Glasgow, UK , Glasgow, UK , Glasgow, UKObjective Eliminating HIV transmission worldwide could become a reality with the advent of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) where people take HIV medication to prevent HIV acquisition. Incorporating digital health into PrEP provision could help services scale up and meet increasing demand. We aimed to explore the prospective acceptability of a novel online PrEP care pathway (the ePrEP clinic) among PrEP users and healthcare professionals. The ePrEP clinic is composed of online postal self-sampling for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, an online consultation, and remote medication provision. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 PrEP users recruited from a large sexual health service and online cohort, and focus groups with nine healthcare professionals from the same sexual health service (May to December 2021). We analysed data using framework analysis. Results Participants found the ePrEP clinic highly acceptable, anticipating that it would provide convenience, empower PrEP users, and increase capacity within sexual health services. The need for blood self-sampling was a considerable barrier for some. Participants anticipated that the ePrEP clinic would be appropriate for established PrEP users with adequate digital health literacy and no medically significant conditions requiring in-clinic monitoring. Participants highlighted the need for support, including access to in-clinic care, and the integration of the ePrEP clinic within existing services. Conclusions Our findings provide clear justification for the development of the ePrEP clinic as an addition to in-clinic PrEP care pathways and provide useful insights for those developing digital services for other conditions incorporating testing, consultations, and prescribing.https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231217816 |
| spellingShingle | Ross Kincaid Jo Gibbs Jenny Dalrymple Lindsay Henderson Jamie Frankis Claudia Estcourt Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals Digital Health |
| title | Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals |
| title_full | Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals |
| title_fullStr | Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals |
| title_short | Delivering HIV prevention medication online: Findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals |
| title_sort | delivering hiv prevention medication online findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of an online hiv pre exposure prophylaxis prep care pathway among service users and healthcare professionals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231217816 |
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