Our Healthbox - Evaluating Interactive Dispensing Systems for Low-Barrier Access to HIV Testing and Harm Reduction.

NCT05516069 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 22-062
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 5,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

When REACH Nexus at MAP Centre for Urban Solutions out of St. Michael's Hospital launched its signature program, I'm Ready in 2021, our goal was to democratize access to free HIV self-testing to reach the undiagnosed in Canada. The program, the first of its kind in Canada has been successfully rolling out 50,000 free, HIV self-tests and connecting participants via a mobile app on an iOS or Android smart phone to care. While this is an important milestone in improving access, REACH knows that more needs to be done. An estimated 20-30% of undiagnosed individuals do not have access to a phone to order the HIV self-tests, and many face multiple barriers to accessing healthcare and harm reduction support: chaotic life circumstances, addiction challenges, stigma and more. Everyone in Canada should have equitable access to the health care they need. But REACH knows that this is not the case.So, REACH is working hard to change this. hese ongoing barriers inspired us to continue creating innovative solutions, and launch our second signature program, Our Healthbox. Our Healthbox meets people where they are, with what they need for their health and well-being. This program is scaling up innovations in health technologies to reach undiagnosed individuals with HIV. These smart interactive vending machines will be strategically located across Canada. The goal is to reach people where they live to provide free and low barrier access to HIV self-testing kits, STBBI testing and other harm reduction supplies. Participation in Our Healthbox, as with I'm Ready, also gives us the opportunity to collect important data that will continue to inform and guide REACH Nexus' work to grow and scale innovative health solutions across the country.

Conditions

HIV; HIV Self-testing; Harm Reduction; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Blood-Borne Infections

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Reaching the undiagnosed and connecting them to care

  Number of participants who have used an HIV self test and have accessed a confirmitory HIV test (i.e. those who were undiagnosed, have tested positive for HIV and connected to care).

  36 months

• Reaching first time testers

  Number of participants who report that have never tested for HIV and have accessed and used an HIV self test (i.e. first time testers).

  36 months

• Providing access to harm reduction supplies

  Number of participants who access (dispense) vaious types of harm reduction supplies (e.g. injectible and non-injectible products).

  36 months

Study Arms (1)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants

Other: Our Healthbox (smart vending machine or interactive dispensing system)

Interventions

Our Healthbox (smart vending machine or interactive dispensing system) OTHER

Our Healthboxes or interactive dispensing systems (IDS) will be placed in various locations across Canada and will house HIV self-test kits (provided by REACH), harm reduction supplies (provided by the provincial governments / local community based organizations; e.g. sterile drug use kits for safer injection, naloxone kits, syringes), other community determined needs (including but not limited to hats, mittens and/or socks, rapid Covid-19 antigen kits, KN95 masks). Individuals will be able to access the HIV self-test kits and harm reduction and other materials directly from the machine. Our Healthbox will also provide health information, and a support services directory for people to find the health care they need - in their community.

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 16 years or older (except for Quebec: age 18 years or older)
• Person living in Canada (Canadian resident)
• Able to provide consent in English or French (via the machine screen)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Unity Health Toronto: lead
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): collaborator
• Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Ensemble

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Links

• Program website

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Harm Reduction; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Blood-Borne Infections

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Communicable Diseases; Infections; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Sean B Rourke, PhD

  MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Micheal's Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sean B Rourke, PhD

CONTACT

(416) 878-2779; sean.rourke@utoronto.ca

Darshanand Maraj, MBBS

CONTACT

(416) 864-6060; darshanand.maraj@unityhealth.to

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Implementation science research: Cross-sectional, prospective, field trial.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 17, 2022
• First Posted: August 25, 2022
• Study Start: January 23, 2023
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Last Updated: July 19, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)