Advancing Patient Navigation for HIV: Evaluating Models of Care for Housing and Employment

• Published in: AIDS and behavior 2024-11, Vol.28 (11), p.3910-3918
• Main Authors: Lightner, Joseph S., Chesnut, Steven, Cabral, Howard J., Myers, Janet J., Brooks, Ronald A., Byrne, Thomas, Rajabiun, Serena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Attrition; Community; Departments; Employment; Employment agencies; Evaluation; Female; Health care; Health Psychology; Health services; Health Services Accessibility; HIV; HIV Infections; Housing; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Intervention; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Middle Aged; Navigation; Navigation behavior; Original Paper; Patient Navigation; Patients; Public Health; Retention; Retention in Care - statistics & numerical data; United States; Viral Load
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04464-2

People with HIV face challenges securing housing and employment. Patient navigation is an effective intervention that can improve the receipt of these services, which have been linked to better health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess implementation of patient navigation in diverse delivery settings. We also evaluated the relationship between these services and health outcomes among participants. Twelve sites in the United States ( N  = 1,082) implemented navigation using single or multiple navigator interventions to improve housing, employment, viral suppression, and retention in care. Sites included health departments, health centers, and AIDS service organizations (ASO). Client-level data were used to model relationships of interest. Across the 12 sites, regardless of model, housing (odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, p