South Middlesex Times

A recent study by Rutgers Health suggests that telehealth could be a viable long-term option for people living with HIV. The research indicates that telehealth may save patients time and reduce the effort and expense associated with in-person medical visits.

The study observed that patients who were receiving in-person care before the COVID-19 pandemic adapted well to telehealth appointments, maintaining their treatment regimens and health outcomes during the early stages of the crisis. Kristen Krause, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and the study's first author, stated, "For folks who see their doctors several times a year and don’t need to give biosamples at every visit, telehealth visits can improve quality of life while maintaining medical efficacy."

Researchers interviewed 133 HIV patients in Essex County, New Jersey, about their experiences between October 2020 and June 2021. The transition to telehealth did not appear to hinder HIV treatment for most participants. According to researchers, 98.5 percent of participants managed to see or speak with an HIV healthcare provider during the pandemic. However, 9.4 percent reported difficulties obtaining antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication after March 4, 2020.

The study found that 69.2 percent of participants accessed healthcare providers via telehealth during the pandemic. Of these individuals, 65.3 percent reported being satisfied with how telehealth met their medical care needs, while 92.4 percent rated its overall quality as "excellent," "very good," or "good."

Health outcomes remained stable for most patients; 65.7 percent had an undetectable viral load and 86.9 percent maintained a CD4 count of at least 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood.

Krause noted that despite initial concerns about potential disruptions in HIV care due to redeployment of infectious disease providers during the pandemic, those already engaged in care did not experience significant negative health-related outcomes.

The study also explored differences between older (55 years and above) and younger HIV patients but found no significant differences in adapting to telehealth or maintaining health outcomes across age groups.

"While we hypothesized that older participants may have faced more obstacles...we did not see any such differences between those older and younger than 55 years of age," said Krause.

The researchers caution that these findings might not represent all people living with HIV since the sample was drawn from a Ryan White-funded clinic providing comprehensive support services to low-income HIV patients.

Further research is needed to assess long-term implications; however, initial results are promising according to researchers.