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Smith R, Villanueva G, Probyn K, Sguassero Y, Ford N, Orrell C, Cohen K, Chaplin M, Leeflang MM, Hine P. Accuracy of measures for antiretroviral adherence in people living with HIV. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022; 7:CD013080. [PMID: 35871531 PMCID: PMC9309033 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013080.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Good patient adherence to antiretroviral (ART) medication determines effective HIV viral suppression, and thus reduces the risk of progression and transmission of HIV. With accurate methods to monitor treatment adherence, we could use simple triage to target adherence support interventions that could help in the community or at health centres in resource-limited settings. OBJECTIVES To determine the accuracy of simple measures of ART adherence (including patient self-report, tablet counts, pharmacy records, electronic monitoring, or composite methods) for detecting non-suppressed viral load in people living with HIV and receiving ART treatment. SEARCH METHODS The Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Information Specialists searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, CINAHL, African-Wide information, and Web of Science up to 22 April 2021. They also searched the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov for ongoing studies. No restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases. SELECTION CRITERIA We included studies of all designs that evaluated a simple measure of adherence (index test) such as self-report, tablet counts, pharmacy records or secondary database analysis, or both, electronic monitoring or composite measures of any of those tests, in people living with HIV and receiving ART treatment. We used a viral load assay with a limit of detection ranging from 10 copies/mL to 400 copies/mL as the reference standard. We created 2 × 2 tables to calculate sensitivity and specificity. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using QUADAS-2 independently and in duplicate. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE method. The results of estimated sensitivity and specificity were presented using paired forest plots and tabulated summaries. We encountered a high level of variation among studies which precluded a meaningful meta-analysis or comparison of adherence measures. We explored heterogeneity using pre-defined subgroup analysis. MAIN RESULTS We included 51 studies involving children and adults with HIV, mostly living in low- and middle-income settings, conducted between 2003 and 2021. Several studies assessed more than one index test, and the most common measure of adherence to ART was self-report. - Self-report questionnaires (25 studies, 9211 participants; very low-certainty): sensitivity ranged from 10% to 85% and specificity ranged from 10% to 99%. - Self-report using a visual analogue scale (VAS) (11 studies, 4235 participants; very low-certainty): sensitivity ranged from 0% to 58% and specificity ranged from 55% to 100%. - Tablet counts (12 studies, 3466 participants; very low-certainty): sensitivity ranged from 0% to 100% and specificity ranged from 5% to 99%. - Electronic monitoring devices (3 studies, 186 participants; very low-certainty): sensitivity ranged from 60% to 88% and the specificity ranged from 27% to 67%. - Pharmacy records or secondary databases (6 studies, 2254 participants; very low-certainty): sensitivity ranged from 17% to 88% and the specificity ranged from 9% to 95%. - Composite measures (9 studies, 1513 participants; very low-certainty): sensitivity ranged from 10% to 100% and specificity ranged from 49% to 100%. Across all included studies, the ability of adherence measures to detect viral non-suppression showed a large variation in both sensitivity and specificity that could not be explained by subgroup analysis. We assessed the overall certainty of the evidence as very low due to risk of bias, indirectness, inconsistency, and imprecision. The risk of bias and the applicability concerns for patient selection, index test, and reference standard domains were generally low or unclear due to unclear reporting. The main methodological issues identified were related to flow and timing due to high numbers of missing data. For all index tests, we assessed the certainty of the evidence as very low due to limitations in the design and conduct of the studies, applicability concerns and inconsistency of results. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS We encountered high variability for all index tests, and the overall certainty of evidence in all areas was very low. No measure consistently offered either a sufficiently high sensitivity or specificity to detect viral non-suppression. These concerns limit their value in triaging patients for viral load monitoring or enhanced adherence support interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhodine Smith
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | | | | | - Nathan Ford
- Department of HIV & Global Hepatitis Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Orrell
- Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Karen Cohen
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marty Chaplin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mariska Mg Leeflang
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Paul Hine
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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Ford N, Orrell C, Shubber Z, Apollo T, Vojnov L. HIV viral resuppression following an elevated viral load: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Int AIDS Soc 2019; 22:e25415. [PMID: 31746541 PMCID: PMC6864498 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Guidelines for antiretroviral therapy recommend enhanced adherence counselling be provided to individuals with an initial elevated viral load before making a decision whether to switch antiretroviral regimen. We undertook this systematic review to estimate the proportion of patients with an initial elevated viral load who resuppress following enhanced adherence counselling. METHODS Two databases and two conference abstract sites were searched from January 2012 to October 2019 for studies reporting the number of patients with an elevated viral load whose viral load was undetectable when subsequently assessed. Data were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS Fifty-eight studies reported outcomes of 45,720 viraemic patients, mostly from Africa (48 studies), and among patients on first-line antiretroviral therapy (43 studies). Almost half (46.1%, 95% CI 42.6% to 49.5%) of patients with an initial elevated viral load resuppressed following an enhanced adherence intervention. Of those on first-line ART with confirmed virological failure (6280 patients, 21 studies), only 53.4% (40.1% to 66.8%) were appropriately switched to a different regimen. Resuppression was higher among studies that provided details of adherence support. The proportion resuppressing was lower among children (31.2%, 21.1% to 41.3%) and adolescents (40.4%, 15.7% to 65.2%) compared to adults (50.4%, 42.6% to 58.3%). No important differences were observed by date of study publication, gender, viral failure threshold, publication status, time between viral loads or treatment regimen. Information on resistance testing among people with an elevated viral load was inconsistently reported. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this review suggest that in settings with limited resources, current guideline recommendations to provide enhanced adherence counselling can result in resuppression of a substantial number of these patients, avoiding unnecessary drug regimen changes. Appropriate action on viral load results is limited across a range of settings, highlighting the importance of viral load cascade analyses to identify gaps and focus quality improvement to ensure that action is taken on the results of viral load testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Ford
- Department of HIVWorld Health OrganizationGenevaSwitzerland
- Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and ResearchSchool of Public Health and Family MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Catherine Orrell
- Desmond Tutu HIV CentreInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular MedicineCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Zara Shubber
- Department of Infectious Disease EpidemiologyImperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tsitsi Apollo
- Government of ZimbabweMinistry of Health and Child Care, AIDS and TB UnitHarareZimbabwe
| | - Lara Vojnov
- Department of HIVWorld Health OrganizationGenevaSwitzerland
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Aretzweiler G, Leuchter S, García-Álvarez M, Simon C, Marins E, Paxinos E, Canchola J, Delgado R, Frontzek A. Analytical performance of four molecular platforms used for HIV-1, HBV and HCV viral load determinations. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2019; 19:941-949. [PMID: 31159598 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2019.1624162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Viral load (VL) quantification is important for the management of HBV, HCV, and HIV-1-infected patients. Several semi- or fully automated systems and assays are available that can be used to measure VL for these and other targets. Research design and methods: We assessed the accuracy, genotype/subtype inclusivity, and precision of four VL assays for three viral targets: cobas 4800 (Roche), cobas 6800 (Roche), Aptima (Hologic) and VERIS (Beckman), using WHO standards, cell culture supernatants and clinical samples. Results: Most results were close to expected values, except for significant under-quantification of HIV-1 group O, HBV genotype C, and D at high VL, and HCV genotype 3 by Aptima, and of HIV-1 CRF01_AE and group N and HCV genotype 3 by VERIS. Precision was comparable between tests except for VERIS HCV, which showed more variability. Aptima and cobas 6800 results agreed well with each other except HBV VL at lower VL (<10,000 IU/mL) where Aptima results tended to be higher. Conclusions: Results from different VL assays may not always agree in certain subsets of patients. Clinicians should we aware of these findings when making treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gudrun Aretzweiler
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Labor Stein , Monchengladbach , Germany
| | - Susanne Leuchter
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Labor Stein , Monchengladbach , Germany
| | - Mónica García-Álvarez
- Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas 12) , Madrid , Spain
| | - Christian Simon
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Roche Molecular Systems , Pleasanton , CA , USA
| | - Ed Marins
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Roche Molecular Systems , Pleasanton , CA , USA
| | - Ellen Paxinos
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Roche Molecular Systems , Pleasanton , CA , USA
| | - Jesse Canchola
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Roche Molecular Systems , Pleasanton , CA , USA
| | - Rafael Delgado
- Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas 12) , Madrid , Spain
| | - Andre Frontzek
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Labor Stein , Monchengladbach , Germany
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Haberer JE, Sabin L, Amico KR, Orrell C, Galárraga O, Tsai AC, Vreeman RC, Wilson I, Sam‐Agudu NA, Blaschke TF, Vrijens B, Mellins CA, Remien RH, Weiser SD, Lowenthal E, Stirratt MJ, Sow PS, Thomas B, Ford N, Mills E, Lester R, Nachega JB, Bwana BM, Ssewamala F, Mbuagbaw L, Munderi P, Geng E, Bangsberg DR. Improving antiretroviral therapy adherence in resource-limited settings at scale: a discussion of interventions and recommendations. J Int AIDS Soc 2017; 20:21371. [PMID: 28630651 PMCID: PMC5467606 DOI: 10.7448/ias.20.1.21371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Successful population-level antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence will be necessary to realize both the clinical and prevention benefits of antiretroviral scale-up and, ultimately, the end of AIDS. Although many people living with HIV are adhering well, others struggle and most are likely to experience challenges in adherence that may threaten virologic suppression at some point during lifelong therapy. Despite the importance of ART adherence, supportive interventions have generally not been implemented at scale. The objective of this review is to summarize the recommendations of clinical, research, and public health experts for scalable ART adherence interventions in resource-limited settings. Methods: In July 2015, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation convened a meeting to discuss the most promising ART adherence interventions for use at scale in resource-limited settings. This article summarizes that discussion with recent updates. It is not a systematic review, but rather provides practical considerations for programme implementation based on evidence from individual studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and the World Health Organization Consolidated Guidelines for HIV, which include evidence from randomized controlled trials in low- and middle-income countries. Interventions are categorized broadly as education and counselling; information and communication technology-enhanced solutions; healthcare delivery restructuring; and economic incentives and social protection interventions. Each category is discussed, including descriptions of interventions, current evidence for effectiveness, and what appears promising for the near future. Approaches to intervention implementation and impact assessment are then described. Results and discussion: The evidence base is promising for currently available, effective, and scalable ART adherence interventions for resource-limited settings. Numerous interventions build on existing health care infrastructure and leverage available resources. Those most widely studied and implemented to date involve peer counselling, adherence clubs, and short message service (SMS). Many additional interventions could have an important impact on ART adherence with further development, including standardized counselling through multi-media technology, electronic dose monitoring, decentralized and differentiated models of care, and livelihood interventions. Optimal targeting and tailoring of interventions will require improved adherence measurement. Conclusions: The opportunity exists today to address and resolve many of the challenges to effective ART adherence, so that they do not limit the potential of ART to help bring about the end of AIDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Haberer
- Massachusetts General Hospital Global Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lora Sabin
- Department of Global Health, Center for Global Health and Department, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K. Rivet Amico
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Catherine Orrell
- Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, and Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Omar Galárraga
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Alexander C. Tsai
- Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachel C. Vreeman
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Ira Wilson
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nadia A. Sam‐Agudu
- Clinical Department, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
- Institute of Human Virology and Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Terrence F. Blaschke
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bernard Vrijens
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Liège, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium
- WestRock Healthcare, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Claude A. Mellins
- HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, NYSPI and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia; University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert H. Remien
- HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, NYSPI and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia; University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sheri D. Weiser
- Division of HIV, ID and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Lowenthal
- Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael J. Stirratt
- Division of AIDS Research, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Papa Salif Sow
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Infectious diseases, University of Dakar, Dakar, Sénégal
| | | | - Nathan Ford
- Department of HIV/AIDS, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Edward Mills
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Lester
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia
| | - Jean B. Nachega
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bosco Mwebesa Bwana
- Department of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Fred Ssewamala
- Columbia University School of Social Work & School of International and Public Affairs, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lawrence Mbuagbaw
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paula Munderi
- HIV Care Research Program, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Elvin Geng
- Division of HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David R. Bangsberg
- Oregon Health & Sciences University‐Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA
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Saberi P, Neilands TB, Vittinghoff E, Johnson MO, Chesney M, Cohn SE. Barriers to antiretroviral therapy adherence and plasma HIV RNA suppression among AIDS clinical trials group study participants. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2015; 29:111-6. [PMID: 25615029 DOI: 10.1089/apc.2014.0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a secondary data analysis of 11 AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) studies to examine longitudinal associations between 14 self-reported antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence barriers (at 12 weeks) and plasma HIV RNA (at 24 weeks) and to discern the relative importance of these barriers in explaining virologic detectability. Studies enrolled from 1997 to 2003 and concluded between 2002 and 2012. We included 1496 (54.2% of the original sample) with complete data. The most commonly selected barriers were "away from home" (21.9%), "simply forgot" (19.6%), "change in daily routine" (19.5%), and "fell asleep/slept through dosing time" (18.9%). In bivariate analyses, "too many pills to take" (OR=0.43, p<0.001), "wanted to avoid side effects" (OR=0.54, p=0.001), "felt drug was toxic/harmful" (OR=0.44, p<0.001), "felt sick or ill" (OR=0.49, p<0.001), "felt depressed/overwhelmed" (OR=0.58, p=0.004), and "problem taking pills at specified time" (OR=0.71, p=0.04) were associated with a lower odds of an undetectable HIV RNA. "Too many pills to take," "wanted to avoid side effects," "felt drug was toxic/harmful," "felt sick/ill,", and "felt depressed/overwhelmed" had the highest relative importance in explaining virologic detectability. "Simply forgot" was not associated with HIV RNA (OR=0.99, p=0.95) and was ninth in its relative importance. Adherence interventions should prioritize barriers with highest importance in explaining virologic outcomes rather than focusing on more commonly reported barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parya Saberi
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Eric Vittinghoff
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Mallory O. Johnson
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Margaret Chesney
- Department of Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Susan E. Cohn
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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