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Background: HIV-positive African Americans have been shown to have lower adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) than those of other races/ethnicities, yet adherence interventions have rarely been tailored to the needs of this population. Objective: We developed and will evaluate a treatment education adherence intervention (called Rise) that was culturally adapted to address the needs of African Americans living with HIV. Methods: This randomized controlled trial will examine the effects of the Rise intervention on ART adherence and HIV viral load. African Americans on ART who report adherence problems will be recruited from the community and randomly assigned to receive the intervention or usual care for 6 months. The intervention consists of 6-10 individual counseling sessions, with more sessions provided to those who demonstrate lower adherence. Primary outcomes include adherence as monitored continuously with Medication Event Monitoring Systems (MEMS) caps, and viral load data received from the participant’s medical provider. Survey assessments will be administered at baseline and month 6. Results: The trial is ongoing. Conclusions: If effective, the Rise intervention will provide community-based organizations with an intervention tailored to address the needs of African Americans for promoting optimal ART adherence and HIV clinical outcomes. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01350544; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01350544 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6fjqqnmn0).

Treatment advocacy (TA) programs, based in AIDS service organizations and clinics, aim to engage clients into care and support antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence through client-centered counseling; advocate for patients with providers; and provide social service referrals. Systematic evaluations of TA are lacking. We conducted a non-randomized evaluation examining relationships of TA participation to adherence, care engagement, social services utilization, unmet needs, patient self-advocacy, and adherence self-efficacy among 121 HIV-positive clients (36 in TA, 85 not in TA; 87% male, 34% African American, 31% White, 19% Latino). In multivariate models, TA participants (vs. non-TA participants) showed higher electronically monitored [85.3% vs. 70.7% of doses taken; b(SE) = 13.16(5.55), p < .05] and self-reported [91.1% vs. 75.0%; b(SE) = 11.60(5.65), p < .05] adherence; utilized more social service programs [Ms = 5.2 vs. 3.4; b(SE) = 1.97(0.48), p < .0001]; and had fewer unmet social-service needs [Ms = 1.8 vs. 2.7; b(SE) = -1.06(0.48), p < .05]. Findings suggest the need for a randomized controlled trial of TA.

Treatment advocacy (TA) programs have been implemented by AIDS service organizations (ASOs) and primary care clinics across the USA to help engage clients with HIV into care and support their adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). TA aims to empower people with HIV through education and client-centered counseling regarding HIV, ART, and other health issues; advocate on behalf of patients with providers; and make referrals to healthcare services and clinical trials. However, relatively little is known about the impact TA has on clients’ healthcare experiences. The present study’s objectives included exploring how TA services help clients engage in HIV care, initiate ART, and adhere to HIV medications. We conducted 25 semi-structured qualitative open-ended interviews with clients living with HIV/AIDS recruited from AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA); four HIV medical providers; and two TA staff at APLA. Of the 25 clients interviewed, 92% were male and 8% were female. The average age was 43 years (SD = 9). About 60% were African-American, 20% were White, 12% were other or multiracial, 4% were Latino, and 4% were Asian/Pacific Islander. Five interconnected themes consistently emerged across clients, TAs, and providers. TAs helped clients understand treatments and supported adherence within a holistic context. Further, TAs acted as a bridge to providers and helped clients build self-advocacy skills. Our data show that TA services go beyond traditional areas of education and treatment adherence. TA services within an ASO also provide a safe place to discuss initial HIV diagnoses and other health issues in a more comprehensive manner. TA services complemented medical and other social services by preparing clients with HIV to be better consumers of healthcare services. Future quantitative research examining the effectiveness of TA on improving clients’ engagement in care and adherence is a critical next step.