Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 4
October – December 2019
Check out the current issue of URBAN ARCH News, the quarterly newsletter bringing you news on the latest URBAN ARCH and related research.
URBAN ARCH Investigates Pain among People Living with HIV
In this edition of the URBAN ARCH Newsletter we will highlight updates in URBAN ARCH pain-related research projects among individuals living with HIV and heavy alcohol use.
2020 URBAN ARCH Annual Meeting
The ninth URBAN ARCH Annual Meeting will be held on March 11-12, 2020. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
- Abstract accepted for a poster presentation at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections: Key features of gut-microbial dysbiosis identified in alcoholic HIV-1 patients. (Singhal et al)
In this issue, we interview Judith Tsui, MD, MPH, an associate professor of Medicine at University of Washington.
Click on the buttons to see what the URBAN ARCH Cohorts and Cores have been working on.
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- Adong J, Fatch R, Emenyonu NI, Cheng DM, Muyindike WR, Ngabirano C, Kekibiina A, Woolf-King SE, Samet JH, Hahn JA. Social desirability bias impacts self-reported alcohol use among persons with HIV in Uganda. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2019;43(2)
- Thakarar K, Walley AY, Heeren TC, Winter MR, Ventura AS, Sullivan M, Drainoni M, Saitz R. Medication for addiction treatment and acute care utilization in HIV-positive adults with substance use disorders. AIDS Care. May 2019:1-5.
Article Spotlight
Tailoring A Telehealth Intervention to Address Chronic Pain and Heavy Drinking Among People with HIV
Chronic pain and heavy alcohol use frequently co-occur and can impact health outcomes, especially among people living with HIV (PLWH). Boston ARCH researchers interviewed 10 study participants with HIV to understand their experiences and treatment of HIV, chronic pain, and alcohol use to inform the development of a telehealth intervention to address these conditions. Questions explored the influence of alcohol on HIV and chronic pain, as well as motivation to change drinking.
- Themes that emerged from the one-on-one interviews include: resilience in coping with HIV; autonomy in health care decision-making; coping with pain, stress, and emotion; understanding treatment rationale; depression and social withdrawal; motives to drink and refrain from drinking; technology use and capacity; and preference for intervention structure and style.
- Videoconferencing was identified as an acceptable modality for intervention delivery.
Comments: One-on-one interviews with people living with HIV, alcohol use, and pain can inform the development of intervention tools to reach this population. Among these participants, videoconferencing emerged as a potential modality for a telehealth intervention. They also cited factors such as mental health and autonomy in health care decision-making as important considerations. For any intervention modality to be successful, it should be as tailored as possible to its target population.
Reference: Palfai TP, Taylor JL, Saitz R, Kratzer MPL, Otis JD, Bernstein JA. Development of a tailored, telehealth intervention to address chronic pain and heavy drinking among people with HIV infection: integrating perspectives of patients in HIV care. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2019;14(1):35.
Selected NIH Notices and Funding Opportunities
- Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
- Research on the Health of Women of Understudied, Underrepresented and Underreported (U3) Populations (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
- Administrative Supplements for Research on Sex/Gender Influences (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)
Click here for more funding announcements related to HIV and alcohol research.
Please email Natalia Gnatienko if you will be attending any of these meetings, so we can connect you with our investigators.
- Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI): March 8-11, 2020; Boston, MA.
- International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference:July 6-10, 2020; San Francisco, CA. Abstract submission deadline: January 14, 2020.
- College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD): June 20-24, 2020; Hollywood, FL. Late-breaking research submission: April 17, 2020.
- Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA): June 20-24, 2020; New Orleans, LA. Abstract submission deadline: January 10, 2020 (poster abstract).
Click here for more events and conferences.
From all of us at URBAN ARCH, we send our warmest wishes for a happy holiday season!
