CCTG 596 is a study that used a cash incentive for new/returning-to-care HIV-infected subjects, as well as high risk HIV negative subjects to recruit individuals (n=200 from each group) from their social networks who would agree to come for HIV testing. To increase testing and case finding of African Americans with HIV, the sample was stratified by race and enrollment controlled so that 50% offered network recruitment will be African American.
30 days from the time of enrollment. After 30 days, referred individuals could still receive HIV testing but neither the index case nor the referred individual received an incentive for the referral.
The sample size was approximately 200 individuals recruited for testing from each of two potential patient populations: i) those new/ returning to HIV care and ii) those high risk HIV uninfected subjects. The total number of network subjects recruited for HIV testing will be 400. Index case subjects were recruited from LACUSC, UCSD, and Harbor-UCLA CCTG sites.
There are two populations being studied: 1) Index patients enrolled in current CCTG studies of newly diagnosed HIV positive subjects, chronically infected out of care subjects, and high-risk HIV negative subjects. 2) Eligible subjects for incentivized HIV testing who will be recruited by index patients.
Subjects were stratified by race, and enrollment were controlled so that 50% offered network recruitment will be African American subjects.
Patients who agree to recruit subjects for HIV testing filled out a social network questionnaire describing their social network. They were given detailed instructions on how to effectively and non-invasively recruit personal social network members along with 3 coupons to pass out to individuals within their social network. Both the index patient and up to 3 members of their social network received $10 if the social network contact comes in for HIV testing within 30 days of index identification.
The primary outcome is identification of new HIV infections. The secondary outcome is feasibility of compensated social network referral for HIV testing including: 1) description of the characteristics of the social networks of newly diagnosed HIV positive patients and high risk negative individuals on PrEP 2) number of index cases that are willing to refer any contacts, 3) proportion of referred contacts that come in for HIV testing versus total number referred, and 4) unintended consequences related to participation as either an index or referred subject.
Exploratory analyses will also be conducted that consider factors associated with index willingness to refer and comparison of social network characteristics of index cases across CCTG studies 593, 594, and 595.