Long-Term Impacts on Clinical Practice Along the HIV Care Continuum: Addressing Workforce Gaps Through a Clinician...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education
• HIV/AIDS Research

Background:

• The Clinician Scholars Program (CSP) was established to bolster the HIV care workforce.
• Focus on enhancing clinical capacity among healthcare providers in underserved regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term practice and system changes among CSP participants.
• Assess the sustained impact of the program on HIV care delivery.

Main Methods:

• A year-long program integrating mentoring, training, and clinical observation.
• Qualitative interviews with 46 Scholars (≥2 years post-program) and a 2023 survey.
• Thematic analysis of interview transcripts using open coding.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of Scholars continued working in HIV care.
• 75% maintained or increased their patient loads.
• 72% implemented changes in their clinical practice to improve HIV care.

Conclusions:

• The CSP demonstrates positive long-term effects on the HIV care continuum and system engagement.
• The training model is effective in enhancing HIV care and potentially adaptable for other chronic conditions.