Publications
Ease of communication facilitated HIV care engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic
2024
Kaufman, J., Wu, Y., Manalel, J., Gao, A., Brandenburg, C., Scaccabarrozzi, L., Antonios, V., Ernst, J., Brennan-Ing, M. (2024, Oct. 27) Ease of communication facilitated HIV care engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic [Poster presentation]. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo, Minneapolis, MN.
Jennie Kaufman, Yiyi Wu, Jasmine Manalel and Mark Brennan-Ing
Background: Care engagement is essential for people living with HIV (PLWH) to maintain antiretroviral medication adherence and ensure successful disease management. Given the disruptions to healthcare access caused by COVID-19 pandemic mitigation efforts, this qualitative study examines the care experiences of PLWH during the pandemic. Our goal was to identify barriers to and facilitators of care engagement among PLWH.
Methods: We recruited 40 PLWH through a Medicaid managed care plan in New York City. Most participants were non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic/Latinx (50% and 28%, respectively); 55% were cisgender men, 25% were cisgender women, and 20% were transgender/nonbinary. Ages ranged from 23 to 64. We conducted semistructured phone interviews during the fall of 2023 regarding the pandemic’s impact on care engagement, medication adherence, community program and service participation, and health and well-being. Interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic methods.
Results: Many participants reported appointment or prescription delays due to COVID-associated lockdowns, communication failures, or medication shortages. Disruptions were lessened for those whose care was centralized, those with well-established provider relationships, and those who could maintain provider contact through telephone or telehealth appointments. Difficulty communicating with providers caused frustration, and the shutdown of community programs for PLWH exacerbated communication disruptions.
Conclusions: Having strong connections to healthcare providers, centralized care, and communication options helped patients stay engaged in care despite the chaos resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight mechanisms that can help maintain care engagement among PLWH even in times of societal disruption and contribute to ending the epidemic goals.