Warm-hand off to local PrEP clinics
AIDS
AIDS
Most enrolled participants (97.5%; 39/40) engaged in the warm hand-off process following the RCT and received a referral to one of two local PrEP clinics. One participant withdrew from the study prior to the warm hand-off process. A total of 38 referrals were made. One participant declined the referral to the PrEP clinic and another participant was being hospitalized and perceived that she could not make the appointment; however, the researcher provided the participant with the information needed to make the appointment upon discharge. A total of 37 clinic appointments were made during the ED visit. Only two participants (5.4%, 2/37) who received a PrEP clinic appointment actually self-reported a linkage to an initial PrEP clinic visit. Participants were more likely to choose AIDS Foundation Houston as their PrEP clinic of choice compared to Legacy Community Health, 64.86% (24/37) versus 35.14% (13/37), respectively. Few (7.5%, n = 3) participants had a sustained willingness to attend an initial PrEP clinic visit and schedule an additional clinic appointment during the follow-up period. We received confirmation, regarding attendance to an initial PrEP clinic visit, from our partners at two local PrEP clinics, for only one participant. Of the study participants who did not follow-up to the PrEP clinic appointment, the reasons included technical errors, clinic scheduling, desire for care elsewhere (i.e. had an established gynecologist or clinical home for women’s health), suboptimal experience with ED staff, relocation, other obligations, other medical conditions, and failure to remember the appointment. Two participants stated that they were willing to make a new PrEP clinic appointment during the follow-up visits.