P443 Transitioning to Telehealth PrEP Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Uptake and Patient Perceptions

Riba, A.; Obafemi, O.; Weise, J.; Gibson, N.; Wendel, K.

BackgroundAs HIV rates have stagnated across the United States, the rate of new HIV infections in Colorado increased by 1.8% from 2014–2019. Increasing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and retention is an important component of the United States’ Ending the HIV Epidemic campaign to address these rates. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly limited in-person appointments to the Denver Public Health (DPH) STI Clinic and threatened to derail the clinics PrEP services.ApproachIn March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant mandatory stay at home order, the DPH STI Clinic rapidly converted in-clinic PrEP care to a telehealth delivery system. Patients were evaluated for PrEP services via telephone or web-based video platform. In-clinic lab only appointments were completed prior to release of mailed or in-person pick-up PrEP prescriptions. To evaluate patient perceptions, a patient satisfaction survey was electronically delivered to 212 patients receiving telehealth PrEP start visits in the 6 months after implementation.Outcomes/ImpactThe DPH STI Clinic was able to maintain 93% of the monthly PrEP start visit volume (57 PrEP start visits/month average) in the six months after implementing telehealth services compared to the six months prior (61 PrEP start visits/month average). Fourteen percent (30/212) of patients receiving the patient satisfaction survey completed the survey. Greater than 90% (21/23) of responding patients agreed that telehealth appointments and lab only visits were easy to schedule and complete. Patients preferred telehealth PrEP visits (92%;22/24) to traditional in-clinic visits.InnovationTelehealth is a rapidly emerging care delivery model that has revolutionized HIV prevention services. Use of telehealth PrEP visits allowed continued support of PrEP initiation during COVID-19 and was well received by patients compared to traditional in-clinic visits.