Mount Sinai Health System is putting in place a fully remote telehealth testing and prescription program for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The health system says the virtual approach can simplify patient access through rapid at-home testing and insurance-covered prescriptions. The program also requires quarterly testing to support long-term medication adherence.WHY IT MATTERSOnly 36% of those who could benefit from PrEP have been prescribed it, Mount Sinai said in Monday's announcement.Wisp's program includes at-home testing options with preventive HIV prescriptions available within 24-48 hours of lab results. It is covered by most commercial and private insurance, the health system said. The collaboration is aimed at removing access barriers to evidence-based HIV prevention, according to Dr. Nicholas Gavin, Mount Sinai's vice president, chief clinical innovation officer and associate chief medical information officer for digital health."At Mount Sinai, our commitment goes beyond just HIV prevention – we're rethinking how care is delivered across the board to make it more proactive, accessible and patient-centered," Gavin said in a statement.Driving the new virtual care program is a combination of HIV transmission rates and stigmas associated with accessing preventive care for sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV. In 2024, New York City had 1,791 new cases, with the majority of diagnoses from underserved communities, said Mount Sinai."It’s unacceptable that so many people still can't access PrEP, given it is one of the most effective solutions we have today to prevent HIV," said Monica Cepak, CEO of Wisp, in a statement. "Our digital-first model, combined with Mount Sinai's clinical leadership, is creating a more accessible, patient-centered approach to prevention – and not only helping people start PrEP, but stay on it."THE LARGER TRENDMount Sinai's Jack Martin Fund Clinic in East Harlem has long offered primary inpatient and outpatient treatment, specialty care and other services to adults and children with infectious diseases. Last year, its researchers also discovered a new gene pathway for the potential treatment of HIV infections.The health system's Institute for Advanced Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine launched a hybrid tele-PrEP program in 2022. Patients needed to book in-person clinical visits to complete their lab work and had telehealth consultations with the health system's HIV prevention program.Fully remote telehealth programs are shifting the paradigm for patient experience, according to American Telemedicine Association CEO Kyle Zebley and Juli Hysenbelli of the HIMSS Virtual Care Community.Access and equity to care require collaboration for a healthcare system under strain. "There are a lot of opportunities and a lot of excitement," Zebley said on HIMSS TV last week. "We have to make sure we are having accurate care."ON THE RECORD"PrEP works best when it fits your life, and now you can start it online, on your own time, at your convenience," said Dr. Antonio Urbina, medical director at Mount Sinai's Institute for Advanced Medicine, in a statement.Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.Email: [email protected]Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.