The Scottish ePrEP Clinic
An online clinical care pathway for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): Phase 2 (2023-2026)
Thanks to decades of activism and research, we are at the point where HIV transmission elimination is a realistic, attainable goal. However, we will only achieve this goal if we continue to invest in widening access to HIV prevention and address key structural barriers people experience when accessing care.
A key part of HIV transmission elimination strategies is the upscaling of oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) provision. PrEP is a pill that people take to prevent HIV acquisition. In Scotland, sexual health services are the primary providers of PrEP-related care. Current guidance recommends PrEP users regularly test for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, have their kidney function monitored, and discuss ongoing PrEP suitability with a healthcare professional.
However, sexual health services are at capacity, making scaling up PrEP provision challenging. At this pivotal time, we must ensure that everyone who would benefit from PrEP can access it. Digital health technologies could offer a way of supporting PrEP users while reducing clinic burden. For this reason, we are developing an online PrEP clinical care pathway – the ePrEP clinic.
The ePrEP clinic will be an addition to in-clinic care, offering established PrEP users the choice to complete some of their routine monitoring without having to attend a sexual health clinic, making long-term PrEP care more convenient for users and reducing the burden on services with fewer appointments per user, per year. The ePrEP clinic will consist of online postal self-sampling for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, an online medical assessment (questionnaire), with the aim of subsequent provision of PrEP via post or community pharmacy collection, depending on feasibility. Currently, we are testing the online medical assessment ahead of piloting.
Project team
Professor Claudia Estcourt (Principle Investigator, Glasgow Caledonian University), Dr Ross Kincaid (Lead Researcher, Glasgow Caledonian University), Dr Jo Gibbs (University College London), Dr Ceilidh Grimshaw (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Dr Lindsay Henderson (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Lesley Maxwell (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Dr Beth McMahon (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Dr Eleanor Shone (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Suzanne Hughes (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), Dr Beth Bateson (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), and Professor Helen Mason (Glasgow Caledonian University).
ePrEP Summary
Learn moreePrEP research updates
Setting up the first study to test part of the ePrEP Clinic (the medical questionnaire). Which will help decide if it is safe to prescribe PrEP without any contact with a healthcare professional.
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