Re-engagement at Discharge 2 (ReCharge2)

August 5, 2025 updated by: Cassidy Claassen, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Re-engagement at Discharge 2: Improving Post-hospital Outcomes for Adults With HIV in Zambia

Early post-discharge mortality is high among Zambians living with HIV admitted to the hospital. This may be due to missed opportunities in post-discharge care, such as inadequate follow-up and treatment. In this study the investigators will develop and pilot a new approach to post-discharge HIV care to improve care coordination and treatment adherence.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Many people living with HIV (PLHIV) have poor outcomes following hospitalization, including high mortality, readmission, and gaps in HIV care engagement. This is likely multi-factorial and not all etiologies may be modifiable. While high mortality may due to incurable cancer, the majority of deaths in PLHIV are thought to be caused by infectious diseases for which treatments exist. However, succumbing to these life-threatening infections after discharge may be due to poor understanding of discharge instructions, lack of post hospital care, and poor understanding of required follow up. Psychosocial support also plays a role in the mental and physical health of these sick patients.

In ReCharge 1, the investigators gathered formative data and identified at least three major factors that undermine HIV clinical outcomes after hospital discharge. First, there are gaps in continuity of care between the discharging facility and outpatient. Second, support from family is often suboptimal due to lack of understanding on the cause of illness, lack of HIV status disclosure, and the cost of care. Third, HIV comorbidities may underpin or complicate the immediate reason for discharge or the post-discharge engagement in care. These data were disseminated to local experts in Zambia including from the Ministry of Health and used to create a new care model for post-discharge HIV care. The care model draws from other successful programs in Zambia. In ReCharge 2 the investigators now propose to pilot the program and assess feasibility, acceptability, and potential for clinical impact.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
97

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Zambia
      • Lusaka, Zambia
        • University Teaching Hospital
      • Lusaka, Zambia
        • Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18+ years
  • HIV-positive
  • Hospitalized for at least 1 night at study site
  • Clinically stable and expected to be discharged according to their clinician
  • Objective evidence of suboptimal HIV outcome, defined as HIV viral load above the lower limit of the assay or T-cell cluster of differentiation 4 count <=200.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to provide informed consent
  • No phone
  • Planning to reside outside of Lusaka urban district after discharge

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Community Health Worker Post-Discharge Intervention
This group will be offered a community-based visit from a community health worker following hospital discharge.
Behavioral: Community Health Worker Post-Discharge Intervention
Clients will be offered a community-based follow-up from a community health worker after hospital discharge.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Post-Discharge Visits
Time Frame: Through three months post-discharge
Proportion of discharged patients who are successfully visited after discharge.
Through three months post-discharge
Post-Discharge Clinic Visits
Time Frame: Through three months post-discharge
Proportion of initial post-discharge visits to the HIV clinic that are attended by the participant's community health worker
Through three months post-discharge
Comprehensive Post-Discharge Visits
Time Frame: Through three months post-discharge
Number of participants that receive a comprehensive discharge follow-up visit from a community health worker
Through three months post-discharge

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mortality
Time Frame: 6 months post-discharge
Proportion of clients alive at 6 months post-discharge.
6 months post-discharge
HIV Viral Load Suppression
Time Frame: 6 months post-discharge
Proportion of clients with suppressed HIV viral load at 6 months post-discharge.
6 months post-discharge
Retention in HIV Care
Time Frame: 6 months post-discharge
Retention in HIV care after discharge defined by no gap of >28 days off antiretroviral therapy from discharge date to 6 months post-discharge date
6 months post-discharge
Antiretroviral Therapy Clinic Visit
Time Frame: 1 month post-discharge
Antiretroviral therapy clinic visit within 1 month of discharge
1 month post-discharge

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Maryland, College Park
University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Cassidy Claassen, MD, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 18, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 13, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 13, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 7, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 11, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 23, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 7, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 5, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • R34MH122265 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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