Evaluation of a Persuasive Health Communication Intervention to Increase HIV/HCV Screening Among Emergency Department Patients With Different Injection Drug Use Histories

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a persuasive health communication intervention designed to increase acceptance of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) screening among adult emergency department (ED) patients who initially declined testing. The study focuses on patients who currently, formerly, or never injected drugs and compares different delivery methods of this intervention. This investigation is conducted as a randomized controlled trial within the Mount Sinai Health System EDs, aiming to improve screening rates and assess cost-effectiveness. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: watching a video with captions, watching a video without captions, or receiving the intervention from a health educator. The intervention is brief and designed to be easy to use with minimal training. This one-time encounter takes place in the ED, and participants may complete study activities within 30 minutes or remain in designated ED areas after discharge if needed. No follow-up visits are required. During the study, researchers will monitor the number of patients who accept HIV/HCV testing after the intervention, comparing acceptance rates across groups and injection drug use history. Data collection is conducted using encrypted tablets, and participants will complete questionnaires during their ED visit. The study plans to enroll up to 2,000 adults, with minimal dropout expected due to the brief nature of the encounter. Safety and health economic assessments will also be part of the evaluation.

Persuasive Health Communication Intervention for HIV/HCV