On November 9th, 2021 the IDEAS for Hope research team held an implementation meeting at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre. Key implementing partners attended the meeting from various hospitals and health centers throughout the Kilimanjaro region. Implementing partners consisted of mental health nurses, HIV nurses, psychiatrists, and other health care workers. The team presented background information on the issue of concern, suicidality among people living with HIV, and introduced the IDEAS study to key partners. The Tanzanian experts shared their perspectives and experiences throughout the presentation, which gave the team insight into the realities of suicidality in Kilimanjaro. Some of the questions asked throughout the presentation were:
- What are your experiences with suicidality among people living with HIV?
- Does the study feel like something the HIV clinic staff would accept and appreciate? How do we improve this?
After a very productive large group discussion, attendees got into “breakout groups” with a member of the research team to answer more detailed questions related to the acceptability and feasibility of the telehealth intervention. Topics of discussion included:
- How do we reduce suicidal thinking and help people stay safe? Build hope? Encourage strong engagement with HIV care?
- Telehealth is a fairly new model for treatment in Tanzania. How do we make sure this is a success?
- What will this look like in the future? How can we incorporate this in normal care?
The attendees provided extremely valuable feedback that will be useful in formulating the details of the IDEAS intervention.
