{
  "abstract": "Background Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy requires structured service models to ensure appropriate administration, adherence to scheduled injections, and effective patient tracking. Service organization may significantly influence accessibility, acceptability and retention in care. We describe the implementation of a physician-supervised, nurse-led outpatient clinic dedicated to long-acting cabotegravir/rilpivirine (LA-CAB/RPV) and assess patient experience and satisfaction.Methods A dedicated outpatient service for LA-CAB/RPV was implemented at our center in October 2022, coinciding with the introduction of the long-acting formulation into clinical practice. The service operates Monday through Thursday (8 hours/day), with additional Saturday morning availability (4 hours). Daily activities are managed by two dedicated nurses under continuous physician supervision. Key organizational features include: (1) a dedicated direct phone line, (2) WhatsApp-based appointment scheduling and rescheduling and (3) direct nurse-physician linkage enabling prompt clinical evaluation when required. Patient experience was assessed using an anonymous QR code-based satisfaction survey administered in January-February 2026 to all patients who had initiated LA-CAB/RPV at our center, regardless of ongoing treatment status, including those who had discontinued therapy prior to survey administration.Results Overall, 372 patients initiated LA-CAB/RPV at our center: at the time of survey administration, 342 (92%) were still receiving treatment. A total of 274 patients completed the survey (response rate 80%).Access and Communication: Contact with the clinic was rated as ‘very easy’ by 72% and ‘quite easy’ by 24% of respondents. The dedicated phone line facilitated appointment management for 77% of patients, while WhatsApp-based rescheduling was considered ‘very useful’ for 82%. Clinic opening hours were considered adequate for 85%.Treatment Convenience: LA-CAB/RPV was perceived as more convenient than daily oral ART by 95% of respondents (70% ‘much more convenient’) and clinic visits were described as minimally burdensome by 84%. Notably, 89% of patients reported never having considered treatment discontinuation due to visit frequency or organizational burden.Overall Satisfaction: Satisfaction score was 9.1/10.Conclusions A physician-supervised, nurse-led service model integrating flexible scheduling, digital communication tools, and close physician–nurse collaboration was associated with high patient satisfaction (mean score 9.1/10) and low perceived organizational burden among individuals treated with LA-CAB/RPV. The inclusion of patients who had discontinued therapy enhances the generalizability of these findings and supports the central role of optimized service delivery in promoting patient acceptance and sustained engagement in long-acting ART programs.Table 1, figure 1Abstract P54 Figure 1Organizational accessibility and treatment retention indicators (n = 274)Abstract P54 Table 1Patient-reported organization performance and treatment perception (n = 274)",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "MV Cossu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "M Matone"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "D Moschese"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "A Bergna"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy",
        "DIBIC Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "A Riva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "AL Ridolfo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "C Gervasoni"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Infectious Diseases - ASST FBF Sacco, Milan, Italy",
        "DIBIC Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Italy",
        "Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Science (MACH), University of Milan, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "A Gori"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P54 A physician-supervised, nurse-led model for long-acting antiretroviral therapy: patient-reported experience from a dedicated outpatient service",
  "uid": "6f45bcf1-8b58-5db0-9a98-62d9fda2a9ae"
}