APRI (Aids Plan Regional Implementation)

Principal investigator: Lucia Ferrara (CeRGAS) 

Team UB/Cergas: Elisabetta Listorti, Vittoria Ardito, Federica Dalponte (CeRGAS) 

Partners: AOU Padova, UOC Malattie infettive 

Sponsor: Gilead Sciences S.r.l. 

Duration: February 2021-December 2021 

Abstract:

With COVID-19, traditional care settings have long not been accessible due to the case surge and the impossibility to physically reach hospitals and outpatients. This has caused an accelerated adoption of telemedicine in the attempt to guarantee continuity of care for non-urgent conditions and chronic patients. Several studies have already identified potential benefits connected to the employment of telehealth within HIV care during COVID-19 (i.e., improving access to care, mitigation of stigma), however limited evidence is available on the preferences of HIV patients toward telemedicine beyond the pandemic, on which the research intends to give a contribution. 

We drafted a survey based on an HIV-specific questionnaire on telehealth developed by Dandachi et al. (2020). The survey was administered to HIV+ patients attending in-person clinic visits at the University Hospital of Padua (Italy) during two periods, July-November 2021 and June-October 2022. The survey maps the availability of digital tools, the perceived benefits of telehealth, the concerns connected with telemedicine use, and the expected frequency of use. Survey responses have been matched with patients’ personal and clinical information, including age, sex, country of origin, education, HIV risk factors, years living with HIV, ART regimen, viral load and comorbidities. Descriptive and inferential statistics, using logistic regression models, have been used in order to assess the impact of patients’ personal and clinical information on the propensity to use telehealth, as mapped by the survey.  

We collected around 600 responses. The preliminary results show more than half of respondents (57%) being fully supportive of telehealth initiatives. Reported benefits are mainly related to being able to better organise their own schedule and not having to physically visit the clinic. On the other hand, concerns are most frequently related to the doctor not being able to accurately assess the patient's condition. Preliminary regression results show that the factor that influences most patients' opinion is their availability of tools to make video calls, which increases the odds of using telehealth. In adhering to telehealth initiatives, patients who have had an infection for more years appear the least likely to do so. In determining the frequency of using telehealth services, having comorbidities reduces the willingness to use them frequently. Older patients appear to be more concerned about the circulation of personal data on the Internet. 

The results allow to better explore the attitude about telehealth of Italian HIV+ patients and the personal and clinical factors affecting the propensity to use telehealth services. The evidence from this research can inform future action of policy makers regarding the adoption of multichannel care models for specific sub-groups of HIV patients. 

Material produced and publications:  

Ferrara L., Ardito V (2022). La pandemia dimenticata: sfide e opportunità 40 anni dopo. I Risultati del progetto APRI. Milano: EGEA discover more

Presentations:

Dalponte F., Listorti E., Sasset L., Mazzitelli M, Cattelan A., Ferrara L. (2023) Telehealth and HIV: exploring the attitude of patients with HIV about using telehealth. EHMA – European Health Management Association, 5-7 June 2023, Rome