Under construction – not a live service
Sign in
Taking people in South AfricaNo phase

Home Care and Food Support After Hospital Discharge for People With HIV

Tests home-based care, with or without food support, after hospital discharge in adults with HIV.

Key facts

Who runs it
Johns Hopkins University
Where
Klerksdorp, South AfricaSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
HomeLink2: Reducing Posthospitalization Mortality Through Structured Home Care and Nutritional Support
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
780 people, planned
Started
24 Jul 2025
Expected to end
6 Mar 2029
Type of study
Interventional, 3 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • HomeLink
  • HomeLink Plus Nutritional Support
Record updated
22 July 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults living with HIV who stayed in an internal medicine ward at Tshepong Hospital and live in the Matlosana sub-district. It tests home visits, with or without food parcels, after hospital discharge.

Age
18 years or older
Sex
All sexes can join.
Disease stage
HIV infection, documented before or during the hospital stay. The person was in an adult internal medicine ward for at least 2 nights.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Admitted to a non-medical ward such as surgical or psychiatric
  • Admitted for elective reasons
  • Admitted only to be moved on to another hospital
  • Person or next of kin cannot give written informed consent in the languages used by the study team

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 9 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Documented HIV infection (either diagnosed during or prior to hospital admission), consisting of any clinical documentation, including a chart note of HIV positivity, Ritonavir-boosted darunavir (RVD) positivity, or antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen documentation/prescription
  • ≥18 years old as per hospital file or government issued document
  • Self-report that the participant resides within Matlosana sub-district
  • Admitted to an adult internal medicine ward at Tshepong Hospital
  • Have spent at least 2 nights in the hospital prior to recruitment to the trial
  • Agree to post-discharge follow-up, including home visits
  • Are able to provide informed consent or if lacking capacity to provide consent at the time of recruitment, as determined by the study team, have a next of kin able to provide informed consent

Who cannot take part

  • Admitted to a non-medical (i.e., surgical, psychiatric, etc.) ward, admitted for elective reasons, or admitted to facilitate onward transfer to another hospital
  • Participant or next of kin unable to provide written informed consent in any of the languages of the informed consents or spoken by the study team

Where in South Africa

  • Tshepong HospitalKlerksdorp, South AfricaContact: Tumelo MoloantoaTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

People living with HIV (PLWH) are at high risk of poor health outcomes after being discharged from the hospital. This study is designed to test whether providing structured care at home-either with or without nutritional support-can help reduce the risk of death within six months of discharge and improve long-term health outcomes.

Read full original descriptionShow less

The investigators are conducting a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of home-based care on post-hospital recovery. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) standard post-discharge care, (2) home-based care that includes medical assessments, support for taking HIV medications (adherence support), and psychosocial counseling, or (3) the same home-based care plus food parcels to support nutrition.

This is a three-arm, individually randomized clinical trial and a type-1 hybrid implementation-effectiveness study, which means the investigators are not only testing whether the interventions improve health outcomes, but also examining how the interventions are delivered and whether the interventions are practical and acceptable in real-world settings. The trial begins with a pilot phase to test the investigators enrollment procedures and improve baseline data collection.

In addition to measuring whether the interventions reduce the risk of death, the study will assess how many people receive the intervention, whether it is acceptable to patients and families, and how consistently it is delivered. The investigators are also evaluating the economic impact of illness, hospitalization, and death on households, and analyzing the cost and resource needs of delivering home-based care, with or without food support.

The investigators goal is to provide evidence that can improve care for people living with HIV after hospital discharge. If effective, this approach may be applied more broadly to improve outcomes for other high-risk patients in similar settings. Findings from the study will be used to inform health policy and clinical practice, particularly in areas with limited resources and high HIV burden.

The 3 groups in the trial

  • Standard of careNo study treatment, for comparison

    Participants in the standard of care arm will receive discharge care as routinely provided at Tshepong Hospital. This includes scheduling follow-up, which is usually two weeks following discharge and usually at the appropriate specialty clinic located at Tshepong Hospital.

  • Home Visit Study ArmTreatment being tested

    In addition to receiving the routine discharge care provided at Tshepong Hospital (as in the standard of care arm), participants in the home visit intervention arm will receive regular home visits every two weeks, starting one week after hospital discharge, for a total of 4 to 6 visits. Each visit will be conducted by a trained nurse-clinician and counselor, with the aim of building trust through continuity of care. During each visit, the team will provide clinical assessments, monitor vital signs, review medications with a focus on HIV treatment adherence, collect lab specimens if needed, and assess the home environment for safety and support. Psychosocial support will also be provided, including counseling on mental health, alcohol use, social support, and HIV-related challenges, using motivational interviewing techniques. Referrals will be made as needed for medical, mental health, or social services.

    Treatment: HomeLink

  • Home Visit Plus Nutritional Support ArmTreatment being tested

    Home visits will be conducted for the 'home visit study arm.' In addition, participants randomized to the home visit plus nutritional support study arm will receive food parcels. Food parcels will be provided by the Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) study team in 3 standardized and pre-packaged deliveries at weeks 1, 5, and 9.

    Treatment: HomeLink and HomeLink Plus Nutritional Support

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
HomeLink2: Reducing Posthospitalization Mortality Through Structured Home Care and Nutritional Support
Plain-language title
Home Care and Food Support After Hospital Discharge for People With HIVGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Record updated
22 July 2026