Prevent TB: Choice Architecture for TPT Delivery

Sponsor
Johns Hopkins University
Study ID
NCT04466488
Status
Completed

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Choice Architecture — BEHAVIORAL
    1. Providers will receive general training on TPT benefits, indications, and contra-indications. 2. Providers will be provided with updated ART and TPT prescribing approach, including an ink stamp or pre-printed sticker for quick entry of the ART prescription along with TPT and cotrimoxazole. 3. The pharmacy or clinician (if the clinician dispenses) will dispense ART, cotrimoxazole, and TPT as prescribed

Study Details

Background: Clinical guidelines and policies often fail to achieve high levels of delivery of intended clinical interventions. The difference in what the investigators know works and what is actually delivered at the clinic-level to patients, is known as the "science-to-service gap." In the realm of tuberculosis (TB) prevention, this gap is reflected in \<20% of TB preventive therapy (TPT) -eligible persons living with HIV (PWH) being offered or initiated on isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) in many settings. Recent innovation in TPT have brought new pharmacological options allowing for shorter courses, intermittent dosing, or both. The overarching goal of this study is to identify a generalizable approach to overcome current barriers to delivery of TPT in order to achieve high levels of TPT delivery during routine care in public clinics. Multiple approaches are in standard use to change prescribing behavior including in service training, audit and feedback, clinical mentoring, the use of clinical decision aids, and "academic detailing." However, the overall change is generally modest. To achieve a substantial increase in TPT delivery (from current approximately 20% to 60-80%) will require a fundamental change in the approach to selecting patients for TPT - a redesign of the choice architecture of TPT prescribing. Methods: The investigators are proposing a choice architecture that makes prescribing TPT the "default" or standard option and that for TPT not to be prescribed will require a choice by a clinician to "opt-out" of TPT for a specific patient. The investigators are proposing a cluster randomized design to test the choice architecture approach to increasing delivery of TPT. Clinics will be randomized to one of two strategies: (1) standard implementation and (2) choice architecture default TPT. Because of the clinic-level nature of the implementation strategies, all PWH receiving care at a clinic will be exposed to the standard implementation or TPT routinization implementation. Clinical process data will be used to assess the effectiveness of each strategy to determine the proportion of PWH (1) screened for TPT, (2) eligible for TPT, and (3) prescribed TPT. Significance: TB is the leading cause of death among PWH in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent. TPT is a proven intervention to reduce mortality among PWH but is not widely prescribed. This study seeks to identify an implementation strategy to reach optimal TPT prescribing.

Key Dates

Start date
Sep 15, 2021
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Nov 1, 2024
Completion
Nov 1, 2024

Study Design

Enrollment
50,798 participants (actual)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Arms

  • No Intervention: Standard of care study arm
    The standard TPT implementation is for a clinician to screen for TB and to consider TPT for those who do not have "presumptive TB". Clinicians in the study district (and most districts in South Africa) have received training and job aids to assist in appropriate application of the TPT initiation algorithm. Prescribing for TPT and ART is done by writing, by hand, the prescription in the patient's paper file. As part of this study, all study clinic providers will have access to standard Department of Health printed material and clinical training.
  • Experimental: Choice Architecture study arm
    In the choice architecture implementation strategy, all opt-out clinic providers and pharmacists will be trained on the approach. The fundamental tenant of this approach is that TPT will be prescribed with any ART initiation and any ART re-prescribing for 3-12 months of TPT (adherent to current guidelines) if TPT has not been previously prescribed. This will be facilitated by co-prescribing ART and TPT. That is when ART is being prescribed TPT is meant to be prescribed at the same time of the clinic visit. The simultaneous prescribing will be facilitated through the introduction of an ink stamp or pre-printed sticker to use for quick entry of the ART prescription along with TPT and cotrimoxazole. The stamp/sticker for ART prescription, the prescription for TPT and for cotrimoxazole will be "automatically" included. Active canceling of these prescriptions (and indicating the reasons) will be needed to not have TPT dispensed.

Primary Outcome Measure

Percentage of Patients Newly Starting ART Also Initiating TPT Within 90 Days of ART Initiation [ Time Frame: Up to 12 months ]

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