Abstract
BackgroundExpanding access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa requires implementation of alternative care delivery models to traditional physician-centered approaches. This longitudinal analysis compares outcomes of patients initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) by non-physician and physician providers.MethodsAdults (≥15 years) initiating ART between September 2007 and March 2010, and with >1 follow-up visit were included and classified according to the proportion of clinical visits performed by nurses or by clinical officers (≥80% of visits). Multivariable Poisson models were used to compare 2-year program attrition (mortality and lost to follow-up) and mortality by type of provider. In sensitivity analyses only patients with less severe disease were included.ResultsA total of 10,112 patients contributed 14,012 person-years to the analysis: 3386 (33.5%) in the clinical officer group, 1901 (18.8%) in the nurse care group and 4825 (47.7%) in the mixed care group. Overall 2-year program retention was 81.8%. Attrition was lower in the mixed care and higher in the clinical officer group, compared to the nurse group (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR]=0.54, 95%CI 0.45-0.65; and aIRR=3.03, 95%CI 2.56-3.59, respectively). While patients initiated on ART by clinical officers in the mixed care group had lower attrition (aIRR=0.36, 95%CI 0.29-0.44) than those in the overall nurse care group; no differences in attrition were found between patients initiated on ART by nurses in the mixed care group and those included in the nurse group (aIRR=1.18, 95%CI 0.95-1.47). Two-year mortality estimates were aIRR=0.72, 95%CI 0.49-1.09 and aIRR=5.04, 95%CI 3.56-7.15, respectively. Slightly higher estimates were observed when analyses were restricted to patients with less severe disease.ConclusionThe findings of this study support the use of a mixed care model with well trained and regularly supervised nurses and medical assistants to provide HIV care in countries with high HIV prevalence.
Highlights
Despite the unprecedented global scale-up of access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), almost half of all people living with HIV still do not have access to treatment [1]
Twenty-three percent of patients included in the mixed care group were initially assessed and started on ART by nurses (n=1,112)
The proportion of patients with severe HIV disease at ART start was higher in the clinical officer group than in the nurse and mixed groups (28.1% compared to 3.8% and 11.0%, respectively, were in clinical stage 4; and 35.4% compared to 15.4% and 25.9%, respectively, had BMI
Summary
Despite the unprecedented global scale-up of access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), almost half of all people living with HIV still do not have access to treatment [1]. Physician- and hospital-centered care delivery approaches have not been brought to scale in many countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa due to limited number of doctors, overwhelmed and overflowing clinics, and to the distances that many patients must travel to reach these centralized facilities [9,10]. This shortage of traditionally utilized health care workers, such as doctors, coupled with limited simplified care delivery models has hindered efforts to reach patients in urgent need of treatment [11,12]. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the use of a mixed care model with well trained and regularly supervised nurses and medical assistants to provide HIV care in countries with high HIV prevalence
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