Clinical Research Directory

California MEPS Hub

The California Hub for HIV/SUD Prevention Research with Reentry Populations addresses the question: "Can the evidence-based MEPS intervention be adapted and implemented at a range of organizations to effectively serve a wider range of clients?" The Mobile Enhanced Prevention Support (MEPS) intervention was originally implemented in Los Angeles County and was proven successful in promoting biomedical HIV prevention (PrEP) uptake and preventative screenings in people who used drugs who recently left incarceration. MEPS is an evidence-based intervention for people with substance use disorders (SUD) that incorporates a client-centered planning session, including trained peer mentors, service utilization incentives, and a mobile application (GeoPass). The study includes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) across three community partners located in Riverside and Alameda Counties. At least 300 people will be enrolled in these three counties; the first 200 will be randomized to either receive the intervention or usual care, with the final 100 all receiving the intervention. The primary implementation outcome for the study involves using an implementation science framework and assessment tools to examine MEPS's implementation. Key outcomes include how well the implementation strategies used support intervention enrollment and retention, integration with existing services in each partnering community agency, and perceived intervention acceptability, feasibility, appropriateness, and maintenance at 6- and 12-months. The primary effectiveness outcome for the study is an increase in HIV testing, PrEP uptake and adherence, and SUD service utilization at 6 months and 12 months in the MEPS compared to the usual care group. Secondary effectiveness outcomes include frequency of service use for SUDs, hepatitis C virus testing, and linkage to care for those who test positive for HIV or hepatitis C.

Clinical Decision Support for PrEP

Scale-up of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a key strategy of the federal initiative to end the HIV epidemic. However, healthcare providers lack tools to identify patients who are at increased risk for HIV infection and thus likely to benefit from PrEP. This pilot study will test the hypothesis that an electronic health record (EHR)-based clinical decision support system that incorporates an HIV risk prediction model can help providers identify patients at increased risk for HIV infection and improve PrEP prescribing in safety-net community health centers. The clinical decision support system will be implemented in the EHR at 2-3intervention clinics, while 2 control clinics will receive standard of care. The primary outcome is PrEP prescriptions. Other key metrics of PrEP-related care to be assessed include medication persistence, adherence to monitoring guidelines for PrEP, and rates of HIV/STI testing and diagnoses. The expected outcome is the foundation for a large-scale cluster randomized trial to test whether EHR-based clinical decision support tools for PrEP can improve PrEP prescribing and prevent new HIV infections in a national network of community health centers.