Case Study: Learning to Live Well with HIV
THT, Metro, Positive East, Positively UK
1. What problem are we trying to solve?
Not all individuals living with HIV are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to manage their condition effectively. Additionally, clinicians often lack awareness of the “Learning to Live Well with HIV” course and other non-clinical support options, which limits referrals. As a result, the course is underutilized, and its potential to improve quality of life for people with HIV is not fully realized.
The aim is to deliver four courses by June 2025, each supporting up to 12 participants living in London who were diagnosed with HIV in the last three years (with exceptions for those struggling longer-term). The initiative seeks to improve quality of life indicators, boost referrals from healthcare providers, peer support workers, the voluntary sector, and self-referrals and increase course attendance and completion rates.
2. What did we do?
Introduced Pre-Course Meetings: Offered one-on-one meetings (in person or via Zoom) for participants before the course, to address concerns and improve readiness.
Enhanced Peer Support Worker Engagement: Trained in-clinic peer support workers (PSWs) to include the course in initial conversations with newly diagnosed individuals and added it to their checklist.
Improved Marketing Materials: Created flyers and posters for clinics and agencies, including prompts to speak to in-clinic PSWs.
Collaboration: Partnered with the Bloomsbury Network to align course dates and avoid overlap.
Targeted Referrals: Distributed course information at peer support worker training days and multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings to encourage referrals from clinicians and other stakeholders.
3. What outcome have we achieved so far?
Course Completion and Outcomes
Course 3 was held in Oct/Nov 2024, bringing the total number of participants to 24.
Survey Results
All attendees completed pre- and post-course surveys, showing improvement across all 10 quality-of-life indicators. The greatest improvement was in the question, “Do you feel you have enough information to manage your HIV?” demonstrating the course’s value in providing knowledge and fostering peer connections.
Key Survey Results % Positive Change
Knowledge to manage HIV (Q2) 64%
Overall quality of life (Q1) 73%
Participant Feedback
“I thought the session was great! Daunting at first, but hearing everyone’s story – in a way the same story, just in different forms – was honestly very comforting.”
Attendance and Referrals
25 referrals/expressions of interest for Course 3; 9 participants registered; 5 attended.
Referrals improving, with 2 coming directly from in-clinic PSWs. Marketing materials and peer training have increased visibility.
Demographic Representation
Ethnicity: 17% Black African, 16% White British, 13% Asian, <10% each White Irish, White Other, Arab, Mixed (30% did not answer).
Gender: 71% Male, 21% Female, 4% Non-binary.
Age: Majority were aged 25-34 (59%), 35-44 (13%), 55+ (3%), average age 36.
Participants were from 16 London boroughs, reflecting diverse outreach.