In:
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Oxford University Press (OUP), Vol. 73, No. 7 ( 2021-10-05), p. e2294-e2302
Abstract:
Understanding patient-reported reasons for lapses of retention in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment can drive improvements in the care cascade. A systematic assessment of outcomes among a random sample of patients lost to follow-up (LTFU) from 32 clinics in Zambia to understand the reasons for silent transfers and disengagement from care was undertaken. Methods We traced a simple random sample of LTFU patients ( & gt;90 days from last scheduled visit) as determined from clinic-based electronic medical records from a probability sample of facilities. Among patients found in person, we solicited reasons for either stopping or switching care and predictors for re-engagement. We coded reasons into structural, psychosocial, and clinic-based barriers. Results Among 1751 LTFU patients traced and found alive, 31% of patients starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) between 1 July 2013 and 31 July 2015 silently transferred or were disengaged (40% male; median age, 35 years; median CD4 level, 239 cells/μL); median time on ART at LTFU was 480 days (interquartile range, 110–1295). Among the 544 patients not in care, median prevalences for patient-reported structural, psychosocial, and clinic-level barriers were 27.3%, 13.9%, and 13.4%, respectively, and were highly variable across facilities. Structural reasons, including, “relocated to a new place” were mostly cited among 289 patients who silently transferred (35.5%). We found that men were less likely to re-engage in care than women (odds ratio, .39; 95% confidence interval, .22–.67; P = .001). Conclusions Efforts to improve retention of patients on ART may need to be tailored at the facility level to address patient-reported barriers.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1058-4838
,
1537-6591
DOI:
10.1093/cid/ciaa1501
Language:
English
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2002229-3
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