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Current HIV/AIDS Reports
Published in: Current HIV/AIDS Reports 4/2010

01-11-2010

Retention in Care among HIV-Infected Patients in Resource-Limited Settings: Emerging Insights and New Directions

Authors: Elvin H. Geng, Denis Nash, Andrew Kambugu, Yao Zhang, Paula Braitstein, Katerina A. Christopoulos, Winnie Muyindike, Mwebesa Bosco Bwana, Constantin T. Yiannoutsos, Maya L. Petersen, Jeffrey N. Martin

Published in: Current HIV/AIDS Reports | Issue 4/2010

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Abstract

In resource-limited settings—where a massive scale up of HIV services has occurred in the last 5 years—both understanding the extent of and improving retention in care presents special challenges. First, retention in care within the decentralizing network of services is likely higher than existing estimates that account only for retention in clinic, and therefore antiretroviral therapy services may be more effective than currently believed. Second, both magnitude and determinants of patient retention vary substantially and therefore encouraging the conduct of locally relevant epidemiology is needed to inform programmatic decisions. Third, socio-structural factors such as program characteristics, transportation, poverty, work/child care responsibilities, and social relations are the major determinants of retention in care, and therefore interventions to improve retention in care should focus on implementation strategies. Research to assess and improve retention in care for HIV-infected patients can be strengthened by incorporating novel methods such as sampling-based approaches and a causal analytic framework.
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Metadata
Title
Retention in Care among HIV-Infected Patients in Resource-Limited Settings: Emerging Insights and New Directions
Authors
Elvin H. Geng
Denis Nash
Andrew Kambugu
Yao Zhang
Paula Braitstein
Katerina A. Christopoulos
Winnie Muyindike
Mwebesa Bosco Bwana
Constantin T. Yiannoutsos
Maya L. Petersen
Jeffrey N. Martin
Publication date
01-11-2010
Publisher
Current Science Inc.
Published in
Current HIV/AIDS Reports / Issue 4/2010
Print ISSN: 1548-3568
Electronic ISSN: 1548-3576
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-010-0061-5

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Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

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WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.

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