A digital health decision tool to reduce medical mistrust and improve HIV care for HLMSM
Official title: Development and Evaluation of a Multilevel, Socio-Culturally Contextualized Digital Health Decision Intervention to Reduce Medical Mistrust and Improve Status-Neutral HIV Service Use among HLMSM
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11413113 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A digital, culturally aware tool helps people living with HIV, men who have sex with men (HIV status-neutral care), and related communities feel more trusted and use HIV services consistently.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | January 3, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01PS005283-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11413113 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults who are living with HIV or at risk, identify as men who have sex with men, and experience mistrust or barriers to using HIV services.
✕Less likely to help
Those not using HIV services or without concerns about mistrust may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a digital health intervention designed to be sensitive to cultural and social contexts affecting people living with HIV who are men who have sex with men. It aims to reduce mistrust in medical systems and encourage consistent engagement with HIV services regardless of current status. The study will test the tool's usability, acceptability, and potential to improve care utilization in real-world settings. Johns Hopkins researchers will lead the work with community input to ensure the intervention fits diverse experiences and needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could make HIV care more accessible and trustworthy for HLMSM, leading to better health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous digital health approaches have shown promise in improving engagement in care among HIV populations, though this exact culturally contextualized tool is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent M. — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent M.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.