Using clinic records to find people who could benefit from PrEP
Official title: Predictive Analytics and Clinical Decision Support to Improve PrEP Prescribing in Community Health Centers (PrEDICT)
Funded at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. · NIH-11144563 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A tool that uses clinic records to help community health center teams find and talk with people who could benefit from HIV prevention medicine (PrEP).
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Canton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 6, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,870,662 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1MH133515-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11144563 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People without HIV who are at increased risk for HIV (based on behavior, partners, or clinical indicators) and who receive care at a participating community health center.
✕Less likely to help
People already living with HIV or those who do not receive care at participating clinics would not be eligible or likely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project uses electronic health record data and machine-learning to flag patients who may be at higher risk of getting HIV and then gives your clinic team prompts and resources to start respectful PrEP conversations. The decision-support tool appears inside the clinic's EHR and includes talking scripts, prescribing guidance, and follow-up supports to help providers offer PrEP. The tool will be tested across community health centers using a cluster-randomized approach so clinics with and without the tool can be compared. The research team engaged patients and clinicians to design the tool so conversations about sexual health are handled sensitively.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more eligible patients learn about and start PrEP, reducing their risk of HIV infection.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work by the team used EHR data to predict new HIV diagnoses with good accuracy (AUC 0.84), and decision-support approaches have shown promise though they still need real-world testing in safety-net clinics.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
Canton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marcus, Julia L. — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
- Study coordinator: Marcus, Julia L.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
mChoice: Boosting PrEP Use and Adherence for Black and Latino MSM with Tailored Training and Support
A national study to help Black and Latino men who have sex with men start and stick with PrEP through culturally matched provider training and patient support.
-
Harnessing male peer networks to boost HIV testing and PrEP use
A large clinical trial in South Africa tests whether giving HIV self-test kits through male peer networks, with phone support, increases PrEP uptake among men.
-
Harnessing men's peer networks to boost HIV self-testing and PrEP use
A large project in South Africa tests whether giving HIV self-test kits through men’s social networks, with phone support, can lead to more men starting PrEP and using HIV testing.
-
Participatory system dynamics to improve PrEP access in the Bronx
A community-driven project in the Bronx will use system dynamics to identify practical ways to help people at risk for HIV start and stay on PrEP.
-
TB PrEP: Bringing HIV prevention to households affected by TB in Uganda
Aims to help people in households with TB in Uganda access HIV PrEP as part of a combined prevention approach.
-
CARES: A practical program to help adolescent girls and young women use PrEP in Africa
A program called CARES helps young women in South Africa and Zimbabwe use different PrEP options better, with counseling, reminders, and options for support.
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.