Open Access“You can’t have a PrEP program without a PrEP Coordinator”: Implementation of a PrEP panel management intervention
Author(s) -
Parya Saberi,
Kristin Ming,
Hyman Scott,
Albert Liu,
Wayne T. Steward
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0240745
Subject(s) - outreach , medicine , pre exposure prophylaxis , family medicine , intervention (counseling) , health care , nursing , medical education , men who have sex with men , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , syphilis , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Lack of healthcare provider knowledge, capacity, and willingness to prescribe PrEP are barriers to PrEP delivery in clinical settings. We implemented the PrEP Optimization Intervention (PrEP-OI) combining a PrEP Coordinator with an online panel management tool to assist providers with PrEP uptake, persistence, and management in 12 San Francisco Department of Public Health Primary Care Clinics. Medical directors (N = 10) identified important factors to consider prior to implementation, including shortage of clinical space for coordinators, medical mistrust, language barriers, and limited lab hours, along with the need for education of providers and staff and patient outreach. Among 110 providers who completed a baseline survey, the majority had reservations in asking about sexual practices and having conversations about PrEP. Providers reported PrEP-OI increased their efficiency and capacity to manage PrEP patients, and served as a gateway to additional services. These results highlight the promise of a provider-based intervention to improve the PrEP continuum and maximize the impact of PrEP.