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Substance AbuseSTARNCT01790360

Seek, Test, and Retain. Linkages for Black HIV+, Substance-Using MSM

A study testing Patient Navigation (PN) Intervention and Financial Incentives (FI) Intervention in people with Substance Abuse and Sexual Behavior, run by Columbia University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The study will seek and recruit substance-using Black Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in New York City for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing and will link and retain those who are HIV infected in HIV primary care. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 99 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Substance Abuse, Sexual Behavior
What is being tested?
Patient Navigation (PN) Intervention and Financial Incentives (FI) Intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
1,930 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2011to 17 Nov 2021
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 99 years
  • Men only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Self-identify as Black, African American, Caribbean Black, or multi-ethnic Black
  • Identify as male
  • Greater than 18 years old
  • Have had sex with a man during the preceding 12 months
  • Have ever used illicit drugs or alcohol to intoxication

Who cannot join

  • Participation in other study assessing linkage and retention in HIV care

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Harlem Prevention Center

    New York, New York, 10027

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Seek, Test, and Retain. Linkages for Black HIV+, Substance-Using Men Who Have Sex With Men.

The study will seek and recruit substance-using Black Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in New York City for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing and will link and retain those who are HIV infected in HIV primary care. The STAR study has two primary objectives: to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) in the substance using Black MSM population for identifying individuals who are HIV infected and not in care; and to assess the relative effectiveness of patient navigation and financial incentives in linkage and retention to HIV care.

Read the detailed description

The HIV epidemic in the United States most severely affects men who have sex with men (MSM): 61% of all new infections occur in this population. Black MSM bear a disproportionate burden, with prevalence of 28%, in contrast to 19% in MSM overall. Black MSM undergo HIV testing less frequently than other MSM; are less likely to be aware that they are HIV infected; are more likely to experience delays in entry into HIV care; and are less likely to be prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART) when eligible. These disparities are pronounced in substance-using MSM, as substance users are at elevated risk of late diagnosis and delayed engagement in HIV care. The combination of pervasive stigma associated with MSM behavior and high rates of substance use hinders effective prevention efforts in this population, even as the prevalence of infection in Black MSM in some US cities approaches 50%. Reducing HIV-related disparities in MSM and among Black Americans are National HIV/AIDS Strategy priorities and are essential to the effort to control and prevent HIV/AIDS in the US.

Being tested
Patient Navigation (PN) Intervention, Financial Incentives (FI) Intervention
Keywords
MSM, HIV, Substance Abuse, Sexual Behavior
Medical subject headings
Substance-Related Disorders, Sexual Behavior

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Patient Navigation (PN) InterventionBehavioural

    Also called PN Intervention, PN

    Patient Navigation is defined as an individual relationship between a navigator and participant to promote retention in the continuum of HIV care . For this study, three experienced navigators will be hired. Their primary role will be to ensure that participants are linked to an HIV primary care provider, that they attend at least one scheduled visit within three months of receiving a confirmed HIV diagnosis, and that they are retained in care (as defined by attending three HIV visits within nine months of diagnosis). To promote linkage to HIV care, navigators will help participants identify material and other barriers to accessing care and will work with participants to overcome those barriers.

  • Financial Incentives (FI) InterventionBehavioural

    Also called FI Intervention, FI

    After confirmation that they have completed their first HIV primary care visit, Financial Incentive participants will receive a gift card. Additionally, the coordinator will flip a coin and give participants a bonus gift card if the coin flip comes up heads. Participants who attend the second HIV primary care visit will receive a gift card. Patients who attend a third HIV primary care visit will receive a gift card. Study staff will be responsible for confirming participants' attendance at appointments.

Study groups in NCT01790360
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Patient Navigation (PN)Active comparatorBehavioral Intervention: 'Patient Navigation (PN) Intervention' participants will receive support from navigators in choosing a provider and remembering to attend appointments
Receives: Behavioral: Patient Navigation (PN) Intervention
Financial Incentives (FI)ExperimentalBehavioral Intervention: 'Financial Incentives (FI) Intervention' participants will receive gift cards and money for attending clinic visits
Receives: Behavioral: Financial Incentives (FI) Intervention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Retention Rate (Linkage to Care)

    Linkage to care will be defined as the attendance of at least one scheduled HIV primary care visit within three months of receiving a confirmed HIV diagnosis. Retention in care will be defined as three visits within nine months of HIV diagnosis.

    Measured: Up to 3 months from HIV diagnosis

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Dollars per patient linked and retained in care

    We will calculate dollars per patient linked and retained in care to measure cost-effectiveness of the two linkage/retention interventions: costs administering the incentives for the financial incentives arm and staffing costs for the peer navigation arm. All such values will then be adjusted by the opportunity cost of each participant's time. In addition, we will include fixed costs (eg, pamphlets and teaching materials to train the navigators) and the cost of space required to host the navigators.

    Measured: Up to 9 months

  2. Proportion of substance-using Black MSM who are recruited

    Effectiveness of Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) for seeking and recruiting substance-using Black MSM: the characteristics of RDS will be estimated using conventional proportion calculations, with confidence intervals.

    Measured: Up to 3 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted13 Feb 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2011
  3. Primary completionSep 2016
  4. Study completion17 Nov 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Screening
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
1,930 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01790360
Sponsor's protocol ID
AAAI1585
Other IDs
1R01DA032100-01
Acronym
STAR
Status last verified
Apr 2022
First submitted
7 Jan 2013
Last updated
6 Apr 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Franks J, Mannheimer SB, Hirsch-Moverman Y, Hayes-Larson E, Colson PW, Ortega H, El-Sadr WM. Multiple strategies to identify HIV-positive black men who have sex with men and transgender women in New York City: a cross-sectional analysis of recruitment results. J Int AIDS Soc. 2018 Mar;21(3):e25091. doi: 10.1002/jia2.25091.

    PubMed 29537178

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Patient Navigation (PN) Intervention and Financial Incentives (FI) Intervention in people with Substance Abuse and Sexual Behavior, run by Columbia University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Apr 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Retention Rate (Linkage to Care) (time frame: Up to 3 months from HIV diagnosis). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01790360, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Apr 2022.

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