Enhancing Oral Health Care Use by HIV-Positives

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent national studies demonstrate that oral health care is one of the highest unmet health care needs for HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals, although it is recognized as playing a critical role in the medical management of HIV/AIDS. Social and economic factors have contributed to less than optimal use of oral health services for HIV+s in the United States. According to recent data, from Miami-Dade County, Florida, only 24% of HIV+s served by Ryan White-funded medical clinics had obtained oral health services in the past 12 months. To address the underutilization of oral health care services, we propose to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention to assist low-income HIV+s in obtaining access to oral health services as well as increase appropriate utilization of these services. The intervention is a brief, client-centered case management intervention. The case management intervention is adapted from an intervention that has been previously tested in a CDC-funded, multi-site study designed to link recently diagnosed HIV+s to primary medical care. A two-arm randomized trial among HIV+ individuals who are currently enrolled in HIV primary medical care, but not receiving oral health care, will be conducted to test the intervention. The two arms will consist of a case management intervention and standard-of-care. Participants will be assessed at baseline, and at 9 and 18 months after baseline, to document their utilization of oral health services. An interdisciplinary team of behavioral and clinical research scientists with experience in developing and evaluating health care and prevention interventions targeting low income, HIV+s will conduct this research.