The esteemed NYC Health + Hospitals just unveiled the findings of an influential research conducted by its Population Health unit illustrating how the strategic application of electronic medical records (EMR) tools, clinical decision supports and competently planned provider instruction, including patient guidance, has effectively maximized the accessibility and consumption of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, a preventive measure against HIV infection, among patients under the city’s public healthcare system umbrella.
Through the innovative creation and application of new EMR tools as well as provider training, patient accessibility barriers were dismantled and the process of PrEP identification, discussion and prescription was streamlined. Consequently, NYC Health + Hospitals witnessed a remarkable threefold spike in patients adopting PrEP medication. This advancement buttresses the public healthcare system’s proven leadership in the domain of HIV prevention, care, and treatment as well as in seeking resolutions to health disparities that have historically hindered PrEP access, particularly for demographic groups acutely affected by the HIV epidemic.
In 2025 alone, the healthcare system administered HIV tests to over 250,000 individuals and provided antiretroviral therapy to thousands residing in New York. Among approximately 13,000 patients with HIV who sought primary care from NYC Health + Hospitals over the preceding year, 98% received antiretroviral therapy and 89% succeeded in suppressing their viral loads. The considerable uptick in PrEP adoption would not have been achievable without our clinicians’ dedication and compassion, comments Emma Kaplan-Lewis, NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Quality Director of HIV/Hepatitis/Sexual Health and the primary author of the study.
Despite the importance of tools and procedures, it is our clinical practitioners who engage in conversations, foster patient trust and treat patients with respect, thereby helping establish PrEP as a primary care staple and equipping patients to make informed decisions about their health. Such human connection is an invaluable aid in achieving equitable PrEP access and sustainable impacts. Co-author and NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Director of HIV/Hepatitis/Sexual Health Eunice Casey further stresses on the significance of understanding patient experiences and working towards removing access obstacles in order to combat the HIV epidemic.
Pairing EMR-based tools with provider instruction and patient education has facilitated healthcare providers in offering PrEP as an integral part of regular primary care, she adds. The steady, ongoing growth observed under this initiative aligns with the health care system’s commitment to health equity and access to potentially life-saving preventive healthcare. In the wake of launching their multi-pronged PrEP expansion strategy in June 2023, NYC Health + Hospitals has seen a stunning increase in PrEP usage among primary care patients, with the number of patients starting PrEP rising from around 1,100 in January 2022 to over 2,300 by January 2025, signifying a 112% increase over three years.
To keep up with this pace, NYC Health + Hospitals aims to persistently upgrade workflows and emphasize provider training and patient education to eliminate further barriers to PrEP access. With the goal of eradicating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, NYC Health + Hospitals continues to focus on HIV prevention, with both pre and post-exposure prophylaxis being fundamental tools in heightening sexual health and wellbeing.