Retention in Care within 1 Year of Initial HIV Care Visit in a Multisite US Cohort

Biannual attendance at medical visits is an established measure of retention in HIV care. We examined factors associated with attending at least 2 clinic visits at least 90 days apart among HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive HIV Outpatient Study participants entering care during 2000 t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ellen M. Tedaldi MD, James T. Richardson MS, Rachel Debes MS, Benjamin Young MD, PhD, Joan S. Chmiel PhD, Marcus D. Durham MS, John T. Brooks MD, Kate Buchacz PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2014-05-01
Series:Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2325957413514631
Description
Summary:Biannual attendance at medical visits is an established measure of retention in HIV care. We examined factors associated with attending at least 2 clinic visits at least 90 days apart among HIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive HIV Outpatient Study participants entering care during 2000 to 2011. Of 1441 patients, 85% were retained in care during the first year of observation. Starting ART during the year was the strongest correlate of retention (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 6.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.4-9.4). After adjusting for starting ART, publicly insured patients (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-1.0), and patients with baseline CD4 counts <200 cells/mm 3 (aOR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9) or missing CD4 counts (aOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.6) were less likely to be retained in care. Although most patients had recommended biannual care visits, some ART-naive individuals may require additional interventions to remain in care. Promptly initiating ART may facilitate engagement in care.
ISSN:2325-9574
2325-9582