Impact of Harm Reduction Care in HIV Clinical Settings on Stigma and Health Outcomes

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are examining how harm reduction approaches in healthcare affect people living with HIV (PLWH) who use drugs. The study explores how healthcare providers' attitudes towards PLWH who use drugs relate to their use of harm reduction strategies and how these approaches influence patients' experiences of stigma and clinical outcomes. This research aims to inform the development of interventions to improve care and reduce health disparities for PLWH who use drugs. This observational study involves healthcare providers and patients at three clinical sites. Providers working in various roles related to HIV care will be surveyed and interviewed about their attitudes and practices regarding harm reduction. Patients living with HIV who use drugs will be surveyed about their experiences with stigma, relationships with providers, and harm reduction care. Findings will guide the creation and testing of a new intervention to enhance harm reduction practices in HIV care. Participants will complete surveys and interviews to assess providers' attitudes and patients' perceptions of harm reduction and stigma. Clinical outcomes such as HIV viral load, retention in care, medication adherence, and hepatitis C viral load will be reviewed retrospectively over the past five years. The study includes both qualitative and quantitative data collection to understand the impact of harm reduction care on health outcomes and patient-provider relationships.

Harm Reduction in HIV Primary Care for PLWH Who Use Drugs