Long-acting injectable antiretrovirals for HIV treatment in the ICONA cohort: physicians’ and nurses’ points of view
Authors: Cingolani A , Tavelli A , De Benedittis S , Mastrorosa I , Muccini C , Bini T , Carraro A , Compagno M , Mazzitelli M , Guastavigna M , Cernuschi M , Torti C , Antinori A , d’Arminio Monforte A ,   ICONA Foundation Study group, d’Arminio Monforte A , Antinori A , Antinori S , Castagna A , Cauda R , Di Perri G , Girardi E , Iardino R , Lazzarin A , Marchetti G C , Mussini C , Quiros-Roldan E , Sarmati L , Suligoi B , von Schloesser F , Viale P , d’Arminio Monforte A , Antinori A , Castagna A , Ceccherini-Silberstein F , Cingolani A , Cozzi-Lepri A , Di Biagio A , Girardi E , Gori A , Lo Caputo S , Marchetti G , Maggiolo F , Mussini C , Puoti M , Perno C F , Torti C , Antinori A , Bai F , Bandera A , Bonora S , Calcagno A , Canetti D , Castagna A , Ceccherini-Silberstein F , Cervo A , Cingolani A , Cinque P , Cozzi-Lepri A , d’Arminio Monforte A , Di Biagio A , Gagliardini R , Giacomelli A , Girardi E , Gianotti N , Gori A , Guaraldi G , Lanini S , Lapadula G , Lichtner M , Lai A , Lo Caputo S , Madeddu G , Maggiolo F , Malagnino V , Marchetti G , Mondi A , Mazzotta V , Mussini C , Nozza S , Perno C F , Piconi S , Pinnetti C , Puoti M , Quiros Roldan E , Rossotti R , Rusconi S , Santoro M M , Saracino A , Sarmati L , Spagnuolo V , Squillace N , Svicher V , Taramasso L , Torti C , Vergori A , Cozzi-Lepri A , De Benedittis S , Fanti I , Giotta M , Marelli C , Rodano’ A , Tavelli A , Cernuschi M , Cosmaro L , Perziano A , Calvino V , Russo D , Farinella M , Policek N , Del Negro V L , Augello M , Carrara S , Graziano S , Prota G , Truffa S , Vincenti D , Rovito R , Giacometti A , Costantini A , Barocci V , Saracino A , Santoro C , Milano E , Comi L , Suardi C , Viale P , Badia L , Cretella S , Erne E M , Pieri A , Quiros Roldan E , Focà E , Minardi C , Menzaghi B , Abeli C , Chessa L , Pes F , Maggi P , Alessio L , Nunnari G , Celesia B M , Vecchiet J , Falasca K , Pan A , Dal Zoppo S , Segala D , Di Pietro M A , Costa C , Lo Caputo S , Ferrara S , Bassetti M , Pontali E , Blanchi S , Bobbio N , Mazzarello G , Lichtner M , Fondaco L , Piconi S , Molteni C , Rusconi S , Canavesi G , Pellicanò G , Marchetti G , Antinori S , Rizzardini G , Puoti M , Castagna A , Bandera A , Bono V , Cossu M V , Giacomelli A , Lolatto R , Moioli M C , Pezzati L , Diotallevi S , Tincati C , Mussini C , Menozzi M , Bonfanti P , Lapadula G , Sangiovanni V , Gentile I , Esposito V , Coppola N , Fusco F M , Di Filippo G , Rizzo V , Sangiovanni N , Martini S , Cattelan A M , Leoni D , Cascio A , Trizzino M , Francisci D , Schiaroli E , Parruti G , Sozio F , Messeri D , Bonelli S I , Lazzaretti C , Corsini R , Antinori A , Cauda R , Mastroianni C , Sarmati L , Latini A , Cingolani A , Mastrorosa I , Lamonica S , Capozzi M , Camici M , Rivano Capparuccia M , Iaiani G , Stingone C , Gianserra L , Paulicelli J , Plazzi M M , d’Ettore G , Fusto M , Coledan I , Madeddu G , De Vito A , Fabbiani M , Montagnani F , Franco A , Del Vecchio R Fontana , Pasticci B M , Di Giuli C , Orofino G C , Calleri G , Di Perri G , Bonora S , Accardo G , Tascini C , Londero A , Battagin G , Nicolè S , Starnini G , Dell’Isola S 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Implementation level of long-acting injectable agents cabotegravir/rilpivirine (LAI CAB/RPV) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment in Italy is still not known. The aim of this study is to identify the status of implementation of LAI CAB-RPV and its barriers.

Materials and methods
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among infectious diseases (ID) physicians and nurses belonging to the ICONA network in Italy. Three validate 4-items measures were used: Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM), Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) and Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM).

Results
Out of 61 ICONA centres, 38 (62%) completed the survey: 57.9% were academic centres, 42.1% were hospital-based. In total, 104 respondents were ID physicians (57.4%), 77 were nurses (42.5%); 4.5% of all PWH followed at the 38 centres started LAI CAB/RPV at time of study. Centres taking care of &gt;1000 PWH reported 95% application of procedures for LA implementation, higher than other centres (P = 0.009). Mean score of AIM was (16.0, standard deviation, SD, 3.3), of IAM (16.0, SD 3.0) and FIM (16.0, SD 2.9). A linear correlation was found between AIM and the number of people with HIV who started LAI CAB/RPV (25–50 versus &lt;25, coefficient of correlation [b] 2.57, 95%CI 0.91–4.60, P = 0.004), academic versus hospital-based centres (b −1.59, 95%CI −2.76–0.110044, P = 0.007) and the absence of preliminary systematic assessment of staff (b −1.98, 95%CI −3.31–0.65, P = 0.004). Implementation barriers were not significantly different according to the number of PWH/centre.

Conclusions
LAI CAB/RPV implementation was low, with a great variability according to centre size. Tailored and centre-specific interventions to address barriers and to optimize the LA treatment implementation should be designed.