Transit Passes for People with HIV

Overseen By Jay Orne, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: The Aliveness Project

Disqualifiers: Informed consent, English, Aliveness member

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if providing an unlimited Metro Transit Pass helps people living with HIV, particularly those with unstable housing, manage their health more effectively. Researchers will assess whether recipients of the transit pass show improved HIV management and increased use of social services that enhance health and quality of life. Participants will be compared to a control group receiving only limited bus cards. This trial may suit individuals involved with The Aliveness Project, residing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and experiencing unstable housing or homelessness. As an unphased study, it offers a unique opportunity to explore innovative support methods for improving health outcomes.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on providing transit passes to improve access to services, so it's unlikely that medication changes are required.

What prior data suggests that providing a transit pass is safe for people with HIV?

Research shows that providing an unlimited transit pass is generally safe. Unlike medications or medical procedures, a transit pass does not cause side effects.

Studies have examined the impact of transportation access on healthcare. They suggest that improved transportation helps people attend healthcare appointments more regularly, potentially leading to better health outcomes, especially for those living with HIV. Reliable transportation plays a crucial role in managing health conditions.

While there are no safety concerns in the traditional sense, a transit pass can aid in health management by facilitating access to appointments and services. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores an innovative approach to supporting people with HIV by providing them with transit passes for six months. Unlike the standard care, where individuals receive limited bus cards, this method could significantly improve access to healthcare and other essential services. By reducing transportation barriers, this approach aims to enhance treatment adherence and overall quality of life for those living with HIV.

What evidence suggests that providing a transit pass could improve the health of people with HIV?

This trial will compare the effects of providing unlimited transit passes to people with HIV against the current standard of care, which includes limited bus cards. Research has shown that unlimited transit passes can improve health outcomes for people with HIV. Studies have found that easier access to transportation helps them attend medical appointments and manage their HIV more effectively. Specifically, one study found that this approach helps maintain low virus levels in the body, a clear sign of good HIV care. Better transportation access also enables people to use other social services, enhancing their overall quality of life. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jay Orne, PhD

Principal Investigator

The Aliveness Project

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for people living with HIV who don't have stable housing. Participants should be willing to complete surveys and allow access to their HIV lab tests. There are no specific exclusion criteria provided, but typically participants would need to meet certain health standards.

Inclusion Criteria

Be a person experiencing unstable housing or homelessness

Currently lives in a temporary group home or substance abuse treatment program, but lived in one of the above housing conditions prior to entry within the last three months

Is listed in the CAREWare database system as being homeless or having temporary or unstable housing

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot communicate in English.

Not an Aliveness member in good standing

Inability to provide informed consent

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants fill out a baseline survey and undergo initial assessments

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants in the intervention group receive unlimited transit passes for 6 months

6 months

Follow-up

Participants complete a follow-up survey and researchers assess HIV management outcomes

6 months

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Metro Transit Pass

Trial Overview The study is testing whether giving out unlimited transit passes can help improve the management of HIV and increase the use of social services among unstably housed individuals. It compares a group with these passes against one without, over six months.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention group will be provided a transit pass for the Minneapolis Metro transit system that will be paid for by the study for 6 months.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control group will receive the current standard of care, in which people are eligible to receive up to two $10 bus cards from their case manager per month.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The Aliveness Project

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

150+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11889868/

predictors of transportation vulnerability and access to HIV ... This study investigated relationships between travel time to HIV care, transportation vulnerability, and HIV care disruptions to inform future transportation ...

2. trial.medpath.com trial.medpath.com/clinical-trial/7de38f72577a256a/nct06483152-resolving-transportation-barriers-plwh

Unlimited Transportation Passes for Unstable Housed People ... The clinical outcomes of interest in this trial are increased rates of viral suppression, which is a direct indicator of effective HIV ...

3. meddatax.com meddatax.com/clinical-trials/NCT06483152

Unlimited Transportation Passes for Unstable Housed People ... The goal of this trial is to learn if providing an unlimited transit pass will improve the health of people living with HIV that are ...

4. nastad.org nastad.org/improving-transportation-access-hiv-prevention-south

Improving Transportation Access for HIV Prevention in the ... The goal of this page is to share current models, examples, and resources to help CBO's develop strategies address known existing transportation barriers.

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12553905/

Effectiveness of an mHealth intervention in HIV/AIDS risk ... According to the DHRS tool, risk scores of below 30% indicate a low risk of HIV, risk scores of 30–39 indicate a moderate risk of HIV, and risk scores of 40 and ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11167718/

Effects of mode of transportation on PrEP persistence among ... We found that MSM using public transportation were less likely to report PrEP persistence than MSM using private transportation.

7. nycosh.org nycosh.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TWU_Report_Final-8-4-05.pdf

The Health Impact of Transit Work: The major health outcomes of concern are cardiovascular diseases, which include hypertension, heart disease, and stroke; lung and bladder cancer and possibly ...

8. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-021-03560-x

Transportation Barriers and Health-Related Quality of Life ... Access to reliable transportation is a social determinant of health imperative for disease management for those aging with HIV/AIDS.