When to resume in-person HIV care during COVID-19 and other infections
When are in-person HIV services worth the risk of COVID-19 and other communicable illnesses? Optimizing choices when virtual services are less effective
This project will find out when returning to face-to-face HIV services in Kenya and Zambia improves care for people living with HIV who do worse with remote options.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143809 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you get HIV care in Kenya or Zambia, researchers will work with local health ministries and clinics to compare in-person versus remote approaches for HIV testing, mental health counseling, and adherence support. They will combine clinic records, patient interviews, and small program pilots to track outcomes like starting treatment, staying on medication, viral suppression, and depression treatment completion. The team will also estimate the extra risk of COVID-19 and other infections from in-person visits and weigh those risks against the health benefits. From these results they will develop simple guidance about who should be offered in-person services and when.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa—especially in Zambia and Kenya—who struggle with remote testing, mental-health care, or staying on ART are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People who are clinically stable, doing well on multi-month ART dispensing, and successfully managing care remotely are unlikely to see direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help ensure people who need face-to-face care get it safely, improving treatment starts, adherence, and mental health outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Real-world experience showed multi-month ART dispensing kept viral suppression but teletherapy and remote adherence support often had worse results, so this work builds on mixed but actionable prior findings.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bershteyn, Anna — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Bershteyn, Anna
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 below.