Site migration in seeking care services from multiple providers is associated with worse clinical outcomes among HIV-infected individuals in Washington, DC

Identifying Spatial Variation Along the HIV Care Continuum: The Role of Distance to Care on Retention and Viral Suppression

Distance to HIV care may be associated with retention in care (RIC) and viral suppression (VS). RIC (≥ 2 HIV visits or labs ≥ 90 days apart in 12 months), prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART), VS (< 200 copies/mL at last visit) and distance to care were estimated among 3623 DC Cohort participants receiving HIV care in 13 outpatient clinics in Washington, DC in 2015. Logistic regression models and geospatial statistics were computed. RIC was 73%; 97% were on ART, among whom 77% had VS. ZIP code-level clusters of low RIC and high VS were found in Northwest DC, and low VS in Southeast DC. Those traveling ≥ 5 miles had 30% lower RIC (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.71, 95% CI 0.58, 0.86) and lower VS (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.52, 0.94). Geospatial clustering of RIC and VS was observed, and distance may be a barrier to optimal HIV care outcomes.

Defining Care Patterns and Outcomes Among Persons Living with HIV in Washington, DC: Linkage of Clinical Cohort and Surveillance Data

Background

Triangulation of data from multiple sources such as clinical cohort and surveillance data can help improve our ability to describe care patterns, service utilization, comorbidities, and ultimately measure and monitor clinical outcomes among persons living with HIV infection.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to determine whether linkage of clinical cohort data and routinely collected HIV surveillance data would enhance the completeness and accuracy of each database and improve the understanding of care patterns and clinical outcomes.

Methods

We linked data from the District of Columbia (DC) Cohort, a large HIV observational clinical cohort, with Washington, DC, Department of Health (DOH) surveillance data between January 2011 and June 2015. We determined percent concordance between select variables in the pre- and postlinked databases using kappa test statistics. We compared retention in care (RIC), viral suppression (VS), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and non-HIV comorbid conditions (eg, hypertension) and compared HIV clinic visit patterns determined using the prelinked database (DC Cohort) versus the postlinked database (DC Cohort + DOH) using chi-square testing. Additionally, we compared sociodemographic characteristics, RIC, and VS among participants receiving HIV care at ≥3 sites versus <3 sites using chi-square testing.

Results

Of the 6054 DC Cohort participants, 5521 (91.19%) were included in the postlinked database and enrolled at a single DC Cohort site. The majority of the participants was male, black, and had men who have sex with men (MSM) as their HIV risk factor. In the postlinked database, 619 STD diagnoses previously unknown to the DC Cohort were identified. Additionally, the proportion of participants with RIC was higher compared with the prelinked database (59.83%, 2678/4476 vs 64.95%, 2907/4476; P<.001) and the proportion with VS was lower (87.85%, 2277/2592 vs 85.15%, 2391/2808; P<.001). Almost a quarter of participants (23.06%, 1279/5521) were identified as receiving HIV care at ≥2 sites (postlinked database). The participants using ≥3 care sites were more likely to achieve RIC (80.7%, 234/290 vs 62.61%, 2197/3509) but less likely to achieve VS (72.3%, 154/213 vs 89.51%, 1869/2088). The participants using ≥3 care sites were more likely to have unstable housing (15.1%, 64/424 vs 8.96%, 380/4242), public insurance (86.1%, 365/424 vs 57.57%, 2442/4242), comorbid conditions (eg, hypertension) (37.7%, 160/424 vs 22.98%, 975/4242), and have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (77.8%, 330/424 vs 61.20%, 2596/4242) (all P<.001).

Conclusions

Linking surveillance and clinical data resulted in the improved completeness of each database and a larger volume of available data to evaluate HIV outcomes, allowing for refinement of HIV care continuum estimates. The postlinked database also highlighted important differences between participants who sought HIV care at multiple clinical sites. Our findings suggest that combined datasets can enhance evaluation of HIV-related outcomes across an entire metropolitan area. Future research will evaluate how to best utilize this information to improve outcomes in addition to monitoring them.

HIV treatment cascade in migrants and mobile populations

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Health policy makers aspire to achieve an HIV treatment 'cascade' in which diagnostic and treatment services are accessed early and routinely by HIV-infected individuals. However, migrants and highly mobile individuals are likely to interact with HIV treatment programs and the healthcare system in ways that reflect their movement through time and place, affecting their successful progression through the HIV treatment cascade. We review recent research that has examined the challenges in effective and sustained HIV treatment for migrants and mobile populations.

RECENT FINDINGS

Mobility is associated with increased risk of antiretroviral therapy (ART) nonadherence, lost to follow-up, deterioration in CD4 count, HIV-related death, development of drug resistance and general noncontinuity of HIV care. Migrants' slow progression through the HIV treatment cascade can be attributed to feelings of confusion, helplessness; an inability to effectively communicate in the native language; poor knowledge about administrative or logistical requirements of the healthcare system; the possibility of deportation or expulsion based on the legal status of the undocumented migrant; fear of disclosure and social isolation from the exile or compatriot group. Travel or transition to the host country commonly makes it difficult for migrants to remain enrolled in ART programs and to maintain adherence to treatment.

SUMMARY

Existing public health systems fail to properly account for migration, and actionable knowledge of the health requirements of migrants is still lacking. A large body of research has shown that migrants are more likely to enter into the healthcare system late and are less likely to be retained at successive stages of the HIV treatment cascade. HIV-infected migrants are especially vulnerable to a wide range of social, economic and political factors that include a lack of direct access to healthcare services; exposure to difficult or oppressive work environments; the separation from family, friends and a familiar sociocultural environment. Realizing the full treatment and preventive benefits of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy will require reaching all marginalized subpopulations of which migrants are a particularly large and important group.