Clinical Outcomes of a Nurse-Delivered, Technology-Enabled HIV Outpatient Model

Abstract

We evaluated Klick, a nurse-led, digitally enabled model of HIV outpatient care, launched in 2020. Klick's smartphone app offers online booking, remote nurse-led consultations, and results. An audit of Klick nurse-led consultations was conducted against BHIVA monitoring guidelines, and nurses were interviewed about their experience. Of 40 Klick patients audited, 4 of 5 BHIVA standards were met: 100% had documented co-medications, smoking history, blood pressure, and viral load data, and 89% received a cardiovascular risk calculation (Targets 97%-90%-90%-90%-90%). Compared to national BHIVA audit findings, Klick performed better across 22 of 24 comparable measures. Nurses safely managed a cohort comprising some complexity (eg, co-morbidities, polypharmacy); no cases were escalated off the pathway, and all were virologically suppressed. Using a digitally supported model, nurses effectively provided safe care to HIV-positive patients with predominantly stable health, enabling consultants to focus on more complex caseloads. Care was comprehensive and person-centered and obtained better outcomes compared to previous national audits.