Winner of the 2023 Cesar Augusto Caceres Award for Technology in HIV Practice Offers Creative Telehealth Program to Overcome Barriers to Care

Winner of the 2023 Cesar Augusto Caceres Award for Technology in HIV Practice Offers Creative Telehealth Program to Overcome Barriers to Care

WASHINGTON, DC: The American Academy of HIV Medicine and the Institute for Technology in Health Care (ITHC) have awarded the 2023 Cesar Augusto Caceres Award for Technology in HIV Practice to Damien Cares in Indianapolis, Ind. The organization and its president and CEO, Alan Witchey, are being recognized for developing and implementing a creative telemedicine program that helps to expand needed services to individuals who typically face barriers to care. Damien Cares offers individuals in central Indiana access to infectious disease care, primary care, HIV/STI testing, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis, and mental health and substance use services.

Damien’s telehealth program helps to ensure that care is accessible to all clients, including those who may lack transportation, face housing instability, or are struggling with mental illness or substance use disorder. The program has provided patients, free of charge, with 100 tablets, each including an unlimited 4G data connection to allow them to connect with providers. Damien Cares focused on distributing the devices to those most in need: patients who are at the highest risk of complications and those who are low-income. Early patient surveys conducted by the organization indicated that clients agreed that having a tablet makes it easier to access services at Damien (81%) and they agreed that having a tablet helped them stay in care at Damien (87%).

“Damien’s telehealth devices are integral to patient care because they help us overcome a multitude of barriers faced by our most vulnerable clients, reaching patients who might otherwise not have access to telehealth activities,” said Mr. Witchey. “I am honored to be recognized by the Academy and ITHC and am committed to continuing this essential program for our patients who are most in need.”

Telehealth can improve continuity of care and health outcomes, but it is often inaccessible to many people because they do not have access to technology, such as a laptop or tablet, or connectivity to the internet. Damien Cares serves a large percentage of those patients facing the greatest barriers to access. A high percentage of Damien Cares patients are unstably housed or homeless, have experienced past incarceration, or are dealing with a mental illness and/or substance use disorder. The tablets ensure these patients can access care when and where they need it. In addition to direct contact with providers, the tablets offer clients access to educational videos, complete Google searches for medication and disease related sites, and connect to an online portal where patients can review their medical records, including viral load data and provider notes.

In its twelfth year, the Cesar Augusto Caceres Award for Technology in HIV Practice seeks to acknowledge those who have created, adapted and/or used innovative technology in their HIV practice and to share that technological knowledge with others in the practice of HIV medicine to improve patient care. The award honors the legacy of Dr. Cesar Caceres, founder of the Institute for Technology in Health Care.

Mr. Witchy will be hosting an Academy webinar later this year to share best practices and discuss the program outcomes.