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The following is a summary of ““Let me hear what you’re needing”: exploring how HIV providers conceptualize patient-provider interactions with people with HIV who use drugs using a harm reduction framework,” published in the February 2025 issue of Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease by Creasy et al.
This study explores how HIV providers conceptualize the patient-provider relationship with people with HIV (PWH) who use drugs within a relational harm reduction (HR) framework.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze how healthcare workers (HCWs) characterized interactions with PWH who use drugs and whether these interactions reflected relational HR or missed opportunities to strengthen the patient-provider relationship.
They performed interviews with 23 providers (n=23) from 3 HIV clinics in the United States to evaluate their interactions with patients. Eligible providers had at least 1 year of experience at their clinic and direct face-to-face contact with patients, including front desk staff, nurses, physicians, and social workers. Data were analyzed using thematic coding via Dedoose.
The results showed that HCWs described positive patient-provider interactions that aligned with HR principles, while some did not fully reflect these principles. Positive interactions were noted when patients displayed comfort and trust in their providers, felt heard, and when providers believed they were meeting patient needs. However, some HCWs characterized positive interactions in ways that contradicted relational HR approaches.
Investigators concluded that incorporating relational HR principles into patient-provider interactions, as described by HSWs, could improve the acceptability and implementation of HR in HIV care, addressing missed opportunities for improved outcomes.
Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20499361251323721
