AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

One in four older persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) report at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime, and the risk for death by suicide is 100 times higher in PLWHA than in the general population. Currently, there are no behavioral interventions that specifically address suicide prevention for older PLWHA, despite their unique biopsychosocial and structural risk factors. Through this work, investigators will adapt Dialectical Behavior Therapy, an evidence-based intervention for suicide prevention, for patients with PLWHA to be delivered by an AI-powered conversational Agent developed by our industry partner, Empower Health. Investigators will then pilot test the feasibility, usability, acceptability and preliminary efficacy to improve self-efficacy to manage negative emotions in n=50 older adults living with HIV/AIDS.

This study is testing software designed to help healthcare providers choose the best HIV treatment combinations for their patients. HIV medicines, known as antiretroviral therapy (ART), can be complex to manage because the right regimen depends on many factors-such as drug resistance, other health conditions, and medication schedules. Many people with HIV are cared for by general clinicians who may not have access to HIV specialists, which can make treatment decisions more challenging. In this study, healthcare providers will use patient cases to compare standard HIV treatment resources with a new clinical decision support tool that gives evidence-based ART recommendations at the point of care. The investigators hypothesize that using the tool will help providers select treatment plans that better match clinical guidelines, make decisions faster, reduce mental effort, and increase overall satisfaction with the prescribing process.