The Kanyakla Study: a Microclinic Social Network Intervention for Promoting Engagement and Retention in HIV Care

The Kanyakla Study: a Microclinic Social Network Intervention for Promoting Engagement and Retention in HIV Care

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to compare a social network-based behavioral intervention known as microclinics to standard HIV clinical care alone in helping patients receiving HIV care on Mfangano, Remba and Ringiti Islands, Kenya remain adherent to clinic appointments. The study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of microclinics on reducing gaps in clinical care, HIV viral load and HIV-related stigma, compared to standard HIV clinical care alone. By doing this research study, the investigators hope to learn whether microclinics are a useful social strategy for improving delivery of HIV treatment in rural Kenya.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be currently receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) or co-trimoxozole prophylaxis from one of the eligible study clinics:

  • Is currently in care at study baseline, defined as having ≥1 medical care visit to receive medications (cART or prophylaxis) during the six months preceeding initiation of study enrollment, OR
  • Initiates pre-ART or ART care for the first time at a study clinic during the six month study recruitment period, OR
  • Transfers from a clinic outside the study area and receives pre-ART or ART care for the first time from a study clinic during the six month recruitment period

• Participants become eligible for study inclusion on the 4th day following a missed clinic appointment, provided the patient has not transferred care to another clinic prior to the 4th day, moved outside the study area or died. Participants who miss a study visit by >3 days but return to clinic before recruitment takes place are still eligible for study enrollment. Missed visits must have occurred within the previous 90 days at the time of eligibility assessment to meet this inclusion criteria.

• Must currently reside on Mfangano, Remba or Ringiti Island.

• Must be conversant with one of the commonly spoken languages within the study area (i.e. DhoLuo, Swahili or English; prior experience indicates that this represents >99% of the adult population).

• Must be ≥18 years of age as of the date of study eligibility.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Eligible participants who reside in the Mfangano East sub-location will be excluded from participation in this study. Many of these patients have already participated in the microclinic intervention as part of the Mfangano Island Healthy Network Impact Study.
• Participants planning on moving permanently out of the study area within the next six months will be excluded.
• Participants who, should they be randomized to the intervention arm, would be unwilling to participate in a microclinic will be excluded from study enrollment.