Primary Care for Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of a teaching intervention and to compare process and outcomes of care for HIV-infected patients randomly assigned to a general medicine clinic (GMC) or an infectious disease clinic (IDC) for primary care. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: University hospital in Durham, NC. PATIENTS: Two hundred fourteen consecutive HIV-infected patients presenting for primary care. INTERVENTION: Physicians at the GMC received HIV-related training and evidence-based practice guidelines. MEASUREMENTS: Utilization of services, health-related quality of life, preventive and screening measures, and antiretroviral use for one year. RESULTS: At baseline GMC patients were more likely to be African American (85% vs 71%; P = .03) and had lower baseline CD4+ cell counts than IDC patients (262 ± 269 vs 329 ± 275; P = .05). A similar and high proportion of patients in both groups received appropriate preventive care services including Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) prophylaxis, pneumococcal vaccination, and antiretroviral therapy. Screening for TB was more frequent in GMC (89% vs 68%; P = .001). In the year following randomization, GMC patients made more visits to the emergency department than IDC patients (1.6 ± 3.0 vs 0.7 ± 1.5; P = .05). Hospital use was higher for GMC patients with average length of stay 7.8 ± 6.3 days compared to 5.7 ± 3.8 days for IDC patients (P = .01). In analyses, which adjust for potential baseline imbalances, these differences remained. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted education in GMC achieved similar provision of primary care for GMC patients, yet use of health care services was higher for this group. The delivery of adequate primary care is necessary but not sufficient to produce changes in health care utilization

Streamlining tasks and roles to expand treatment and care for HIV: randomised controlled trial protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A major barrier to accessing free government-provided antiretroviral treatment (ART) in South Africa is the shortage of suitably skilled health professionals. Current South African guidelines recommend that only doctors should prescribe ART, even though most primary care is provided by nurses. We have developed an effective method of educational outreach to primary care nurses in South Africa. Evidence is needed as to whether primary care nurses, with suitable training and managerial support, can initiate and continue to prescribe and monitor ART in the majority of ART-eligible adults.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>This is a protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention based on and supporting nurse-led antiretroviral treatment (ART) for South African patients with HIV/AIDS, compared to current practice in which doctors are responsible for initiating ART and continuing prescribing. We will randomly allocate 31 primary care clinics in the Free State province to nurse-led or doctor-led ART. Two groups of patients aged 16 years and over will be included: a) 7400 registering with the programme with CD4 counts of ≤ 350 cells/mL (mainly to evaluate treatment initiation) and b) 4900 already receiving ART (to evaluate ongoing treatment and monitoring). The primary outcomes will be time to death (in the first group) and viral suppression (in the second group). Patients' survival, viral load and health status indicators will be measured at least 6-monthly for at least one year and up to 2 years, using an existing province-wide clinical database linked to the national death register.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Controlled Clinical Trials ISRCTN46836853</p

HIV-related Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia in Older Patients Hospitalized in the Early HAART Era

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether older age continues to influence patterns of care and in-hospital mortality for hospitalized persons with HIV-related Pneumocustis carinii pneumonia (PCP), as determined in our prior study from the 1980s. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. PATIENTS/SETTING: Patients (1,861) with HIV-related PCP at 78 hospitals in 8 cities from 1995 to 1997. MEASUREMENTS: Medical record notation of possible HIV infection; alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient; CD4 lymphocyte count; presence or absence of wasting; timely use of anti-PCP medications; in-hospital mortality. MAIN RESULTS: Compared to younger patients, patients ≥50 years of age were less likely to have HIV mentioned in their progress notes (70% vs 82%, P < .001), have mild or moderately severe PCP cases at admission (89% vs 96%, P < .002), receive anti-PCP medications within the first 2 days of hospitalization (86% vs 93%, P <.002), and survive hospitalization (82% vs 90%, P < .003). However, age was not a significant predicator of mortality after adjustment for severity of PCP and timeliness of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: While inpatient PCP mortality has improved by 50% in the past decade, 2-fold age-related mortality differences persist. As in the 1980s, these differences are associated with lower rates of recognition of HIV, increased severity of illenss at admission, and delays in initiation of PCP-specific treatments among older individuals—factors suggestive of delayed recognition of HIV infection, pneumonia, and PCP, respectively. Continued vigilance for the possibility of HIV and HIV-related PCP among persons ≥50 years of age who present with new pulmonary symptoms should be encouraged