The Cheeky Study: A Novel Delivery System for CAB-RPV LA

CAB-RPV LA will be delivered in a trans-friendly injection clinic at Bridge HIV, which is centrally located in SF. The clinic is staffed by physicians, nurses, and peer navigators who are experienced working with the trans community and are experts in delivery of injectable formulations. For patients unable to attend follow-up clinic visits, arrangements will be made for a clinical provider and peer navigator to conduct a home visit for injection delivery. This implementation strategy will overcome structural barriers where it is difficult to get a visit appointment, and when appointments are missed, even harder to re-schedule. The central location in a quiet, safe and trans-affirming clinical site will make injections easy-to-access. Because the Bridge HIV clinic is not a primary care site, injections can be delivered with minimal wait times due to low patient load relative to clinical capacity.

A Trans peer navigator will support trans women living with HIV receiving long-acting injectable treatment through our delivery model. Peer navigators will reach out to trans women using our highly effective mobile SMS platform to provide additional support before and between visits. This platform provides automated weekly check-ins for streamlined support and bi-directional asynchronous texting with a peer navigator. Peer navigators will use this SMS platform to send appointment reminders, assess needs for re-scheduling, answer questions and triage concerns regarding CAB-RPV LA, and offer support for transportation or scheduling a home visit. This approach has demonstrated efficacy in improving ART adherence and viral suppression in people living with HIV as well as retention in care and adherence to PrEP.

To support effective outreach to and education of providers on novel evidence-based practices, SFDPH has utilized public health detailing (brief educational visits via a nurse practitioner) to ensure providers are prepared to implement new interventions. This strategy has been effective in expanding the implementation of PrEP, RAPID ART initiation, and comprehensive STI screening across clinics in SF. For this study, we will develop educational materials on the CAB-RPV LA regimen, including a summary of results from Phase 3 trials (ATLAS20, FLAIR21), the FDA labeling indication, and details about SFDPH's implementation of CAB-RPV LA within our safety-net system and our new delivery model. These materials will include information on which patients will be eligible for this treatment modality and eligible for referral to our new delivery model, and how to make these referrals.

For SFDPH clinics, Bridge HIV providers will communicate with primary care providers through EPIC, SFDPH's electronic health record (EHR), and one of the most common EHR systems used across clinic systems in the US. For this study, secure email and/or telephone encounters within EPIC will be used to facilitate efficient referrals of TGW living with HIV from their primary providers to the Bridge HIV injection clinic and ongoing secure communication between Bridge HIV clinicians and the primary care team. For non-SFDPH clinics, communication will be via secure email or other secure communication strategies.