Patient perspectives on point-of-care HIV nucleic acid tests for viral load monitoring in Seattle, WA.

INTRODUCTION

Viral load (VL) monitoring is a critical component of HIV care for people with HIV (PWH); however, laboratory VL tests often take days to return results. Point-of-care nucleic acid tests (POC NAT s) could provide faster VL monitoring for PWH in the United States (US).

METHODS

Participants receiving semi-quantitative POC NAT via the Greater Access and Impact with NAT (GAIN) Study were invited to participate in surveys and in-depth interviews (IDIs) regarding the acceptability of the SAMBA II HIV-1 Semi-Quantitative Whole Blood Test (SAMBA Semi-Q) for VL monitoring and adherence counseling.

RESULTS

Between June 2023 and December 2024, 50 participants completed a post-study visit acceptability survey and 20 completed an IDI. Compared to standard VL testing, participants preferred the faster turnaround time (TAT) of the SAMBA Semi-Q and that the test was run on a fingerstick sample in the clinic. However, a lower limit of detection (LOD) and an even shorter TAT would be preferred.

CONCLUSIONS

POC NAT is acceptable to PWH and could be particularly useful for patients incompletely engaged in care. However, an LOD lower than 1000 copies/mL would be preferable, and a TAT shorter than twohours would improve feasibility of implementation in US settings.