Patient perspectives on point-of-care HIV nucleic acid tests for viral load monitoring in Seattle, WA

INTRODUCTION: Viral load (VL) monitoring is a critical component of HIV care for people with HIV (PWH); however, laboratory VL tests often take days to return results. Point-of-care nucleic acid tests (POC NAT s) could provide faster VL monitoring for PWH in the United States (US). METHODS: Participants receiving semi-quantitative POC NAT via the Greater Access and Impact with NAT (GAIN) Study were invited to participate in surveys and in-depth interviews (IDIs) regarding the acceptability of the SAMBA II HIV-1 Semi-Quantitative Whole Blood Test (SAMBA Semi-Q) for VL monitoring and adherence counseling. RESULTS: Between June 2023 and December 2024, 50 participants completed a post-study visit acceptability survey and 20 completed an IDI. Compared to standard VL testing, participants preferred the faster turnaround time (TAT) of the SAMBA Semi-Q and that the test was run on a fingerstick sample in the clinic. However, a lower limit of detection (LOD) and an even shorter TAT would be preferred. CONCLUSIONS: POC NAT is acceptable to PWH and could be particularly useful for patients incompletely engaged in care. However, an LOD lower than 1000 copies/mL would be preferable, and a TAT shorter than twohours would improve feasibility of implementation in US settings.