NCT06845774

The PROTECT (PrEP Optimization Through Telehealth Care and Treatment) Trial

Optimizing Low Threshold TelePrEP Care in Syringe Service Programs for People Who Inject Drugs in Appalachia

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Hilary L Surratt, PhD · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 99 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The expansion of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care has been endorsed as a key strategy for reducing new HIV infections, however, PrEP trials among people who inject drugs (PWID) are rare and uptake of PrEP has been minimal, most notably in rural areas. Structural barriers to healthcare access, lack of providers, and inadequate infrastructure to deliver PrEP are challenges in many rural areas. In addition, PWID often have social determinant barriers to PrEP care. This study will integrate telehealth PrEP care within syringe services programs (SSPs), a venue already routinely accessed by PWID, to reduce structural barriers to evidence-based HIV prevention through co-located comprehensive PrEP services, and test this against a standard of care approach in a pilot randomized clinical trial. The primary objective is to examine preliminary efficacy and effect sizes of novel integrated telehealth care versus standard education and active referral on the primary outcome of PrEP initiation in HIV-negative participants who inject drugs.

Conditions

• HIV Prevention

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	CDC PrEP with active referral	The single session SOC utilizes structured risk assessments and educational materials recommended by the CDC, based on the CDC PrEP 101 information, and delivered one-on-one by trained study staff in about 15 minutes. This will be followed by active referral to a local provider; local providers have been identified to receive study referrals in each community. This session will occur the same day or within one week of study enrollment.
BEHAVIORAL	TelePrEP	The TelePrEP intervention includes an initial one-on-one in person intervention session with trained study staff that: 1) engages in provides basic education on PrEP care tailored for PWID; 2) encourages participation in a telehealth clinical evaluation for PrEP; and, 3) offers the opportunity to participate in point of care baseline testing for PrEP. At the conclusion of session 1, for those who express readiness to link with PrEP care, study staff will immediately facilitate access to the telehealth platform onsite. Four telehealth visits will be offered to access initial and follow-up clinical care for PrEP.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-25
• Primary completion: 2027-01-13
• Completion: 2027-01-13
• First posted: 2025-02-25
• Last updated: 2026-02-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States