(P126) “I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION” – REACHING TOWARDS ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC GOALS THROUGH ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SECURE GROUP MESSAGING

Background:
The Ending-The-Epidemic (EtE) initiative calls for diagnosing all persons with HIV, linking and retaining persons living with HIV to maximize viral suppression, and facilitating access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for patients vulnerable to HIV.  While most providers agree these are important population health goals, they frequently do not receive training on HIV care or prevention and don’t have dedicated time for these efforts. The EPIC secure group chat functionality provides a unique opportunity for rapid, low-barrier, questions and referrals to comprehensive sexual health services.  In Northern Manhattan, a three-hospital system created EPIC secure chat groups to field questions and referrals from all settings.  We describe the use of EPIC group chat and services provided.

Methods:
Messages received by the HIV/HCV coordination group chat (HIV/HCV) and sexual health program group chat (SHC) from October 15, 2023, to February 15, 2024, were retrospectively reviewed.  Message characteristics were collected including date/time, message setting, message reason, patients’ HIV status, and services provided including social work/care coordination, medications, or appointments.

Results:
87 messages (0.7 messages per day) were received in 123 days; this includes 59 (68%) to the HIV/HCV chat and 28 (32%) to the SHC. Chats came from all care settings; ED (39%), inpatient (38%), and outpatient (23%).  The most common reason for outreach included initial linkage or re-linkage to HIV care (55%), linkage to STI and prevention care (15%), and positive results (HIV test 7%, STI test 9%).  The response team was able to arrange for social work for 43% of patients, appointments for 34%, and medications for 20%.

Conclusion:
The EPIC secure group chat allows for patient care providers to immediately connect to receive advice or refer patients while simultaneously addressing barriers to testing and re-linkage to care.  Further study is needed to determine if a secure chat approach is viable in all care settings.