Tele-PrEP Model Highly Acceptable to Patients, Providers

A predominately phone-based model of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to individuals at risk of HIV initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic is highly acceptable to patients and health care providers, according to a study published in the International Journal of STD & AIDS.

“The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid shift to telephone consultations without the sequential evaluative process which would usually characterize such a dramatic change in practice,” wrote a research team from the United Kingdom. “This service evaluation provides some of the first insights into the acceptability of tele-PrEP.”

Anonymous online surveys were completed by 62 patients who had a tele-PrEP appointment through the service in Scotland between November 13, 2020, and December 17, 2020, and by 8 health care professionals (5 senior nurses and 3 physicians) who conducted tele-PrEP clinics.

Among patient respondents, 98% rated the tele-PrEP service as excellent or good, and 80% said they would be happy to use tele-PrEP again. All health care worker respondents said tele-PrEP allowed for the safe and confident assessment of patients for PrEP initiation and continuation. Nevertheless, 16% of patients and 11% of health care professionals surveyed preferred face-to-face care, especially for cases with more diverse or complex needs beyond routine PrEP provision.

Key areas important to health care professionals were teamwork, support/supervision, and convenience in achieving quality care for the patient. Patients, meanwhile, valued convenient, holistic, and individualized care.

“Looking to the future, this could mean that tele-PrEP becomes the main model of PrEP care,” researchers wrote. “However, uncertainties remain, including the views of patients with low health literacy, the acceptability of remote care as COVID-19 restrictions ease, and whether this care model provides value for money.”

Reference:
Henderson L, Gibbs J, Quinn J, Ramasami S, Estcourt C. Maintaining access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in a pandemic: a service evaluation of telephone-based pre-exposure prophylaxis provision. Int J STD AIDS. Published online April 23, 2022. doi:10.1177/09564624211068766