Patient perspectives on integrated healthcare for HIV, hypertension and type 2 diabetes: a scoping review

Introduction Antiretroviral therapy has reduced mortality and led to longer life expectancy in people living with HIV. These patients are now at an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Integration of care for HIV and NCDs has become a focus of research and policy. In this article, we aim to review patient perspectives on integration of healthcare for HIV, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Methods The framework for scoping reviews developed by Arksey and O'Malley and updated by Peter et al was applied for this review. The databases PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane library were searched. Broad search terms for HIV, NCDs (specifically type 2 diabetes and hypertension) and healthcare integration were used. As the review aimed to identify definitions of patient perspectives, they were not included as an independent term in the search strategy. References of included publications were searched for relevant articles. Titles and abstracts for these papers were screened by two independent reviewers. The full texts for all the publications appearing to meet the inclusion criteria were then read to make the final literature selection. Results Of 5502 studies initially identified, 13 articles were included in this review, of which 11 had a geographical origin in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine articles were primarily focused on HIV/diabetes healthcare integration while four articles were focused on HIV/hypertension integration. Patient’s experiences with integrated care were reduced HIV-related stigma, reduced travel and treatment costs and a more holistic person-centred care. Prominent concerns were long waiting times at clinics and a lack of continuity of care in some clinics due to a lack of healthcare workers. Non-integrated care was perceived as time-consuming and more expensive. Conclusion Patient perspectives and experiences on integrated care for HIV, diabetes and hypertension were mostly positive. Integrated services can save resources and allow for a more personalised approach to healthcare. There is a paucity of evidence and further longitudinal and interventional evidence from a more diverse range of healthcare systems are needed

Delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis in persons living with HIV in Eastern Europe: associated factors and effect on mortality-a multicentre prospective cohort study

Background: Early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is important to reduce transmission, morbidity and mortality in people living with HIV (PLWH). Methods: PLWH with a diagnosis of TB were enrolled from HIV and TB clinics in Eastern Europe and followed until 24 months. Delayed diagnosis was defined as duration of TB symptoms (cough, weight-loss or fever) for ≥ 1 month before TB diagnosis. Risk factors for delayed TB diagnosis were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. The effect of delayed diagnosis on mortality was assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox models. Findings: 480/740 patients (64.9%; 95% CI 61.3-68.3%) experienced a delayed diagnosis. Age ≥ 50 years (vs. < 50 years, aOR = 2.51; 1.18-5.32; p = 0.016), injecting drug use (IDU) (vs. non-IDU aOR = 1.66; 1.21-2.29; p = 0.002), being ART naïve (aOR = 1.77; 1.24-2.54; p = 0.002), disseminated TB (vs. pulmonary TB, aOR = 1.56, 1.10-2.19, p = 0.012), and presenting with weight loss (vs. no weight loss, aOR = 1.63; 1.18-2.24; p = 0.003) were associated with delayed diagnosis. PLWH with a delayed diagnosis were at 36% increased risk of death (hazard ratio = 1.36; 1.04-1.77; p = 0.023, adjusted hazard ratio 1.27; 0.95-1.70; p = 0.103). Conclusion: Nearly two thirds of PLWH with TB in Eastern Europe had a delayed TB diagnosis, in particular those of older age, people who inject drugs, ART naïve, with disseminated disease, and presenting with weight loss. Patients with delayed TB diagnosis were subsequently at higher risk of death in unadjusted analysis. There is a need for optimisation of the current TB diagnostic cascade and HIV care in PLWH in Eastern Europe

Risk of tuberculosis after initiation of antiretroviral therapy among persons with HIV in Europe.

OBJECTIVES Tuberculosis (TB) risk after initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) is not well described in a European setting, with an average TB incidence of 25/105 in the background population. METHODS We included all adult persons with HIV starting ART in the RESPOND cohort between 2012 and 2020. TB incidence rates (IR) were assessed for consecutive time intervals post-ART initiation. Risk factors for TB within 6 months from ART initiation were evaluated using Poisson regression models. RESULTS Among 8441 persons with HIV, who started ART, 66 developed TB during 34,239 person-years of follow-up [PYFU], corresponding to 1.87/1000 PYFU (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-2.37). TB IR was highest in the first 3 months after ART initiation (14.41/1000 PY (95%CI 10.08-20.61]) and declined at 3-6, 6-12, and >12 months post-ART initiation (5.89 [95%CI 3.35-10.37], 2.54 [95%CI 1.36-4.73] and 0.51 [95%CI 0.30-0.86]), respectively. Independent risk factors for TB within the first 6 months after ART initiation included follow-up in Northern or Eastern Europe region, African origin, baseline CD4 count 100,000 copies/mL, injecting drug use and heterosexual transmission. CONCLUSIONS TB IR was highest in the first 3 months post-ART initiation and was associated with baseline risk factors, highlighting the importance of thorough TB risk assessment at ART initiation

Perspectives of Local Community Leaders, Health Care Workers, Volunteers, Policy Makers and Academia on Climate Change Related Health Risks in Mukuru Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya&mdash;A Qualitative Study

Sub-Saharan Africa has been identified as one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. The objective of this study was to explore knowledge and perspectives on climate change and health-related issues, with a particular focus on non-communicable diseases, in the informal settlement (urban slum) of Mukuru in Nairobi, Kenya. Three focus group discussions and five in-depth interviews were conducted with total of 28 participants representing local community leaders, health care workers, volunteers, policy makers and academia. Data were collected using semi-structured interview guides and analyzed using grounded theory. Seven main themes emerged: climate change related diseases, nutrition and access to clean water, environmental risk factors, urban planning and public infrastructure, economic risk factors, vulnerable groups, and adaptation strategies. All participants were conscious of a link between climate change and health. This is the first qualitative study on climate change and health in an informal settlement in Africa. The study provides important information on perceived health risks, risk factors and adaptation strategies related to climate change. This can inform policy making, urban planning and health care, and guide future research. One important strategy to adapt to climate change-associated health risks is to provide training of local communities, thus ensuring adaptation strategies and climate change advocacy

Climate change and health in urban informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries – a scoping review of health impacts and adaptation strategies

Background: Climate change affects human health with those with the least resources being most vulnerable. However, little is known about the impact of climate change on human health and effective adaptation methods in informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to identify, characterize, and summarize research evidence on the impact of climate change on human health in informal settlements and the available adaptation methods and interventions. Method: A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The four bibliographic databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched. Eligibility criteria were all types of peer-reviewed publications reporting on climate change or related extreme weather events (as defined by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), informal settlements (as defined by UN-Habitat), low- and middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank) and immediate human health impacts. Review selection and characterization were performed by two independent reviewers using a predefined form. Results: Out of 1197 studies initially identified, 15 articles were retained. We found nine original research articles, and six reviews, commentaries, and editorials. The articles were reporting on the exposures flooding, temperature changes and perceptions of climate change with health outcomes broadly categorized as mental health, communicable diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Six studies had a geographical focus on Asia, four on Africa, and one on South America, the remaining four articles had no geographical focus. One article investigated an adaptation method for heat exposure. Serval other adaptation methods were proposed, though they were not investigated by the articles in this review. Conclusion: There is a paucity of original research and solid study designs. Further studies are needed to improve the understanding of the impact, the most effective adaptation methods and to inform policy making

Healthcare Provider Advocacy for Primary Health Care Strengthening: A Call for Action

Primary Health Care (PHC) is the backbone of health systems and a cornerstone of Universal Health Coverage. In 2018, political commitment to PHC, including a comprehensive approach based on essential care throughout the lifespan, integrated public health functions, and community empowerment was reaffirmed by international stakeholders in Astana. As recent events exposed weaknesses of health care systems worldwide, growing attention has been paid to strengthening PHC. While the role of care providers as health advocates has been recognized, they may lack skills, opportunities, and resources to actively engage in advocacy. Particularly for PHC providers, guidance and tools on how to advocate to strengthen PHC are scarce. In this article, we review priority policy areas for PHC strengthening with relevance for several settings and health care systems and propose approaches to empower PHC providers—physician, non-physician, or informal PHC providers—to advocate for strengthening PHC in their countries by individual or collective action. We provide initial ideas for a stepwise advocacy strategy and recommendations for practical advocacy activities. Our aim is to initiate further discussion on how to strengthen health care provider driven advocacy for PHC and to encourage advocates in the field to reflect on their opportunities for local, national, and global action

Co-detection of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin and cotrimoxazole resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: Implications for HIV-patients' care

Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are frequently exposed to antimicrobial agents. This might have an impact on the resistance profile, genetic background and virulence factors of colonizing Staphylococcus aureus. Sub-Saharan Africa is considered to be endemic for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) positive S. aureus which can be associated with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). We compared S. aureus from nasal and pharyngeal swabs from HIV patients (n = 141) and healthy controls (n = 206) in Gabon in 2013, and analyzed determinants of colonization with PVL positive isolates in a cross-sectional study. S. aureus isolates were screened for the presence of selected virulence factors (incl. PVL) and were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and genotyping. In HIV patients, S. aureus was more frequently detected (36.9 vs. 31.6%) and the isolates were more frequently PVL positive than in healthy controls (42.1 vs. 23.2%). The presence of PVL was associated with cotrimoxazole resistance (OR = 25.1, p < 0.001) and the use of cotrimoxazole was a risk factor for colonization with PVL positive isolates (OR = 2.5, p = 0.06). PVL positive isolates were associated with the multilocus sequence types ST15 (OR = 5.6, p < 0.001) and ST152 (OR = 62.1, p < 0.001). Participants colonized with PVL positive isolates reported more frequently SSTI in the past compared to carriers of PVL negative isolates (OR = 2.7, p = 0.01). In conclusion, the novelty of our study is that cotrimoxazole might increase the risk of SSTI in regions where cotrimoxazole resistance is high and associated with PVL. This finding needs to be confirmed in prospective studies

TIPS and splenorenal shunt for complications of portal hypertension in chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis-A case series and review of the literature

Author summaryHepatosplenic schistosomiasis is a severe form of chronic infection with various trematodes of the genus Schistosoma, characterized by portal venous fibrosis, splenomegaly with hypersplenism, and portal hypertension with subsequent life-threatening bleeding events. While effective anthelminthic treatment is available, portal fibrosis is only partially reversible. Portal hypertension with subsequent bleeding events as a complication is hitherto insufficiently addressed. Surgical techniques are currently the best established treatment option for HSS, despite their inherent complication risk and irreversibility. Interventional procedures like TIPS have rarely been assessed in HSS with mixed results. In a series of 13 cases with follow-up periods up to 99 months and a cumulative follow-up of 30.9 years, we demonstrate excellent bleeding prophylaxis and a low adverse event rate of TIPS and-if TIPS proves infeasible-splenorenal shunt surgery. Main complications of TIPS comprise transient hepatic encephalopathy and increase of liver enzymes, especially in patients with hepatic comorbidities. Due to necessary infrastructure and skills, TIPS implantation is currently limited to specialized centers. However, we think that our study can support the establishment and development of new treatment options for schistosomiasis and, in the medium term, also improve the prognosis of this neglected tropical disease in endemic regions. BackgroundTransjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and shunt surgery are established treatment options for portal hypertension, but have not been systematically evaluated in patients with portal hypertension due to hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (HSS), one of the neglected tropical diseases with major impact on morbidity and mortality in endemic areas. MethodsIn this retrospective case study, patients with chronic portal hypertension due to schistosomiasis treated with those therapeutic approaches in four tertiary referral hospitals in Germany and Italy between 2012 and 2020 were included. We have summarized pre-interventional clinical data, indication, technical aspects of the interventions and clinical outcome. FindingsOverall, 13 patients with confirmed HSS were included. 11 patients received TIPS for primary or secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding due to advanced portal hypertension and failure of conservative management. In two patients with contraindications for TIPS or technically unsuccessful TIPS procedure, proximal splenorenal shunt surgery in combination with splenectomy was conducted. During follow-up (mean follow-up 23 months, cumulative follow-up time 31 patient years) no bleeding events were documented. In five patients, moderate and transient episodes of overt hepatic encephalopathy were observed. In one patient each, liver failure, portal vein thrombosis and catheter associated sepsis occurred after TIPS insertion. All complications were well manageable and had favorable outcomes. ConclusionsTIPS implantation and shunt surgery are safe and effective treatment options for patients with advanced HSS and sequelae of portal hypertension in experienced centers, but require careful patient selection