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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 21(6)

Telehealth for HIV care and management among people living with HIV in Australia: results from an online survey

Juan Martinez-Andres https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6661-1689 A B , Christopher K. Fairley https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9081-1664 A C , Timothy Krulic D E , Jason J. Ong https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5784-7403 A C , Louise Owen F , Anna McNulty https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3174-1242 G , Melanie Bissessor A H , Caroline Thng https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1457-1539 I , Charlotte Bell J , Mahesh Ratnayake J , Dean Murphy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2752-7091 E , Eric P. F. Chow https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1766-0657 A C K # and Tiffany R. Phillips https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6920-7710 A C # *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

B Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.

C School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

D Living Positive Victoria, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

E La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

F Tasmanian Statewide Sexual Health Service, Tas, Australia.

G Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

H The Centre Clinic, St Kilda, Vic, Australia.

I Gold Coast Sexual Health Service, Gold Coast, Qld Australia.

J Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide SA, Australia.

K Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.

* Correspondence to: tiffany.phillips@monash.edu

# Co-last authorships

Handling Editor: Jami Leichliter

Sexual Health 21, SH24067 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH24067
Submitted: 31 March 2024  Accepted: 16 October 2024  Published: 4 November 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

The aims of this study were to evaluate the experiences of telehealth for routine HIV care and identify preferred models of HIV routine care for the future.

Methods

Anonymous, online questionnaire among people living with HIV aged 18 years or older. This survey was advertised via posters with a QR code in six sexual health clinics and one community organisation as well as on social media from November 2021 to December 2022.

Results

Of 89 participants, the majority were males (80/89, 89.9%), between 36 and 55 years old (49/89, 55.1%), spoke English at home (74/89, 84.1%), had been living with HIV for >5 years (68/89, 76.4%) and reported having a telehealth consultation since the COVID-19 pandemic began (69/89, 77.5%). The top three liked aspects of telehealth were: the convenience of not leaving home or work (50/69, 72.5%); less travel time (48/69, 69.6%); and avoiding contact with other people (30/69, 43.5%). The top three dislikes of telehealth were: they could not be screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or have a physical examination at the same time (29/69, 42.0%); it was an impersonal experience (20/69, 29.0%); and it was more difficult to discuss health concerns (18/69, 26.1%). Among all participants, the preference for future consultations was to have a mix between in-person and telehealth (40/89, 44.9%); however, nearly one-quarter prefer in-person consultations only (20/89, 22.5%).

Conclusions

Use of telehealth during COVID-19 has been evaluated positively among people living with HIV that participated in this survey. Participants support the use of telehealth for routine care in conjunction with in-person consultations.

Keywords: access, COVID-19, health equity, HIV, telehealth, telemedicine.

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