# ADELANTE: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention to Improve Engagement in Care for Latinos with HIV

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2024 · $697,716

## Abstract

Latinos with HIV are persistently underserved in the U.S., contributing to poor clinical outcomes and public
health burden. While effective antiretroviral medications are widely available, only half of Latino patients with
HIV are retained in care and have regular access to treatment. Barriers to HIV care for Latinos are numerous,
multi-factorial, and dynamic, such as fear of deportation, stigma, homophobia, emotional well-being and mental
health, inadequate access to transportation to attend clinics, lack of access to primary care, and shortage of
trained providers who can provide culturally attuned care in Spanish. Using culturally acceptable tools can help
these patients overcome existing impediments and develop greater patient activation, self-efficacy, and
emotional well-being and access to the needed core social services on the pathway to viral suppression. The
PI’s recent NIMH-funded K23 award developed and evaluated a Spanish language telenovela-(film) based,
community health worker (CHW)-delivered 5-session intervention, called ADELANTE, which is a theory-based
problem-solving intervention designed to empower Latinos with HIV and link them to existing resources, such
as transportation, to address unmet basic needs. The proposed R01, led by an Early Stage Investigator, will
test ADELANTE in two Ryan White-funded clinics within US Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Plan-identified
geographic areas that have high HIV incidence in Latinos. Building on our prior research and grounded in local
EHE priorities, we will leverage well-established community partnerships and multidisciplinary expertise in
clinical trials, health disparities, mental health and substance use, community engagement, and biostatistics to
accomplish the following aims. In Aim 1, we will randomize 250 Latinos with HIV in a controlled trial to contrast
clinical effectiveness of ADELANTE (5-session, CHW-delivered telenovela-based intervention) versus
enhanced care condition (ECC, 5 reminder phone calls). We hypothesize that ADELANTE participants will
demonstrate higher rates of viral suppression (HIV RNA <200 copies/ml) at month-12 and will have fewer ED
visits and hospitalizations compared with ECC. In Aim 2, we will examine potential mechanisms by which
ADELANTE impacts viral suppression. We hypothesize that participants in ADELANTE will have increased
rates of patient activation, self-efficacy for retention in care, emotional well-being, and referrals for non-
clinical services and these variables will mediate the relationship of ADELANTE with viral suppression. In
Aim 3, we will identify barriers and facilitators to implementation readiness of ADELANTE through in-depth
semi-structured interviews with 40 RCT participants and focus groups with local stakeholders involved with
implementation. This qualitative data will add value in explaining findings, ensuring relevance, and facilitating
future uptake and reach. This approach addresses high priority areas for NIH HIV/AIDS resea...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10893558
- **Project number:** 5R01MH132428-02
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Julie Levison
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $697,716
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-25 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10893558

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10893558, ADELANTE: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intervention to Improve Engagement in Care for Latinos with HIV (5R01MH132428-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10893558. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*