Our Healthbox - Evaluating Interactive Dispensing Systems for Low-Barrier Access to HIV Testing and Harm Reduction.

Summary

When REACH Nexus at MAP Centre for Urban Solutions out of St. Michael's Hospital launched its signature program, I'm Ready in 2021, our goal was to democratize access to free HIV self-testing to reach the undiagnosed in Canada. The program, the first of its kind in Canada has been successfully rolling out 50,000 free, HIV self-tests and connecting participants via a mobile app on an iOS or Android smart phone to care.

While this is an important milestone in improving access, REACH knows that more needs to be done. An estimated 20-30% of undiagnosed individuals do not have access to a phone to order the HIV self-tests, and many face multiple barriers to accessing healthcare and harm reduction support: chaotic life circumstances, addiction challenges, stigma and more.

Everyone in Canada should have equitable access to the health care they need. But REACH knows that this is not the case.So, REACH is working hard to change this. hese ongoing barriers inspired us to continue creating innovative solutions, and launch our second signature program, Our Healthbox. Our Healthbox meets people where they are, with what they need for their health and well-being. This program is scaling up innovations in health technologies to reach undiagnosed individuals with HIV. These smart interactive vending machines will be strategically located across Canada. The goal is to reach people where they live to provide free and low barrier access to HIV self-testing kits, STBBI testing and other harm reduction supplies.

Participation in Our Healthbox, as with I'm Ready, also gives us the opportunity to collect important data that will continue to inform and guide REACH Nexus' work to grow and scale innovative health solutions across the country.

Conditions

• HIV
• HIV Self-testing
• Harm Reduction
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Blood-Borne Infections

Interventions

OTHER

Our Healthbox (smart vending machine or interactive dispensing system)

Our Healthboxes or interactive dispensing systems (IDS) will be placed in various locations across Canada and will house HIV self-test kits (provided by REACH), harm reduction supplies (provided by the provincial governments / local community based organizations; e.g. sterile drug use kits for safer injection, naloxone kits, syringes), other community determined needs (including but not limited to hats, mittens and/or socks, rapid Covid-19 antigen kits, KN95 masks). Individuals will be able to access the HIV self-test kits and harm reduction and other materials directly from the machine. Our Healthbox will also provide health information, and a support services directory for people to find the health care they need - in their community.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR)

  collaborator OTHER

• Unity Health Toronto

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sean B Rourke, PhD · MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Micheal's Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-01-23

Primary Completion

2025-12-30

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations