Intervention Improved Appointment Attendance in HIV Clinics
Abstract
Researchers evaluated methods of emphasizing the importance of keeping HIV care appointments at HIV specialty clinics.
The researchers launched the first phase of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Retention in Care study in May 2008. The study ran from May 1, 2009, to April 30, 2010, with a pre-intervention period from May 1, 2008, to April 30, 2009. There were 10,018 patients in the pre-intervention study and 11,039 during the intervention study. The intervention consisted of posters, brochures, and staff-generated verbal messages of the importance of regular care and keeping appointments.
During the intervention phase the adjusted percentage of improvement for keeping two consecutive visits was 7 percent. There was a significant improvement in new or reengaging patients, patients with a detectable viral load, and patients aged 16 to 29 years. The overall adjusted relative improvement in the mean proportion of all visits kept was 3 percent.
The researchers concluded that although the impact of the intervention was relatively small across all patients, it provided a relatively low-cost and low-effort clinic-wide process that could improve adherence to clinic visits.
PNU Editor’s Note: The article titled, “A Low-Effort, Clinic-Wide Intervention Improves Attendance for HIV Primary Care,” was published the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases 2012;55(8):1124–1134.
Source
http://www.healio.com
Date of Publication
11/01/2012
Article Type
General media
Article Category
National News
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