What is it about?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective at preventing HIV, but the cost of medication can be a barrier for people without adequate drug coverage. In Ontario, the Trillium Drug Program can help cover these costs, but applying to the program can be difficult to navigate. We developed and tested a practical tool to guide people through the application process. Our findings show how simplifying access to information and support may help people more successfully navigate drug coverage and access PrEP.

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Why is it important?

PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV, but its impact depends on people being able to access it. In Ontario, people without adequate drug coverage may rely on the Trillium Drug Program, yet navigating the application process can itself create a barrier to access. Our work translates a complex administrative process into a practical, user-tested navigation tool. Importantly, testing showed that the tool improved users’ ability to successfully complete the application process while reducing the time required and eliminating critical errors. This work demonstrates how relatively simple, user-centred interventions can help address administrative barriers that stand between people and effective HIV prevention.

Perspectives

This project began with a simple question: how can we make it easier for people to access a medication that we already know can prevent HIV? Working on this project showed us how seemingly small administrative barriers can have meaningful consequences for whether people are able to access healthcare. We hope this work helps make the process of accessing PrEP a little easier, while also encouraging us to think more broadly about how we design healthcare systems that people can actually navigate.

Shayan Novin
University of Toronto

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Access Navigator: Creating a Comprehensive 'Application Cheat Sheet' for the Trillium Drug Program, Digital Government Research and Practice, August 2026, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3843226.
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