Optimal outcomes with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) depend on retention in clinical care and strict adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Multiple structural, social, and behavioral factors inhibit care engagement for young same-gender-loving (SGL) men with HIV. Early use of the palliative approach (ePA) is an interdisciplinary care approach that enhances point-of-care patient-provider communication and symptom management. ePA care strategies focus on relieving suffering and promoting quality of life (QOL) regardless of life expectancy. This study’s research question was, Does ePA, integrated with ongoing HIV management, improve patient outcomes for a population difficult to engage in care, compared with delivery of standard HIV care alone? The investigators used the Care and Support Access (CASA) intervention to educate and train health care workers on ePA and how to integrate its delivery with outpatient care.
