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Evaluation of the sustainability of an intervention to increase HIV testing.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Sustainability-the routinization and institutionalization of processes that improve the quality of healthcare-is difficult to achieve and not often studied. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sustainability of increased rates of HIV testing after implementation of a multi-component intervention in two Veterans Health Administration healthcare systems. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental implementation study in which the effect of transferring responsibility to conduct the provider education component of the intervention from research to operational staff was assessed. PATIENTS: Persons receiving healthcare between 2005 and 2006 (intervention year) and 2006 and 2007 (sustainability year). MEASUREMENTS: Monthly HIV testing rate, stratified by frequency of clinic visits. RESULTS: The monthly adjusted testing rate increased from 2% at baseline to 6% at the end intervention year and then declined reaching 4% at the end of the sustainability year. However, the stratified, visit-specific testing rate for persons newly exposed to the intervention (i.e., having their first through third visits during the study period) increased throughout the intervention and sustainability years. Increases in the proportion of visits by patients who remained untested despite multiple, prior exposures to the intervention accounted for the aggregate attenuation of testing during the sustainability year. Overall, the percentage of patients who received an HIV test in the sustainability year was 11.6%, in the intervention year 11.1%, and in the pre-intervention year 5.0% CONCLUSIONS: Provider education combined with informatics and organizational support had a sustainable effect on HIV testing rates. The effect was most pronounced during patients' early contacts with the healthcare system.

SUBMITTER: Goetz MB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2787938 | biostudies-other | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:BACKGROUND:HIV-infected patients often present to primary care several times with HIV-indicator conditions before diagnosis but the opportunity to test by healthcare professionals (HCPs) is frequently missed. Current HIV testing rates in primary care are low and educational interventions to facilitate HCPs to increase testing and awareness of HIV are needed. METHOD:We implemented a pilot feasibility stepped-wedged randomised controlled trial of an educational intervention in high HIV prevalence practices in Bristol. The training delivered to HCPs including General Practitioners (GP) aimed to increase HIV testing and included why, who, and how to test. The intervention was adapted from the Medical Foundation for HIV and Sexual Health HIV Testing in Practice (MEDFASH) educational tool. Questionnaires assessed HCP feedback and perceived impacts of the intervention. HIV testing rates were compared between control and intervention practices using 12 monthly laboratory totals. RESULTS:169 HCPs (from 19 practices) received the educational intervention. 127 (75%) questionnaires were completed. Delivery of the intervention was received positively and was perceived as valuable for increasing awareness, confidence and consideration of testing, with HCPs gaining more awareness of HIV testing guidelines. The main pre-training HIV testing barrier reported by GPs was the patient not considering themselves at risk, whilst for nurses it was a concern about embarrassing or offending the patient. Most HCPs reported the intervention addressed these barriers. The HIV testing rate increased more in the control than in the intervention practices: mean difference 2.6 (95% CI 0.5,4.7) compared with 1.9 (-?0.5,4.3) per 1000 patients, respectively. The number of HIV tests across all practices increased from 1154 in the first 6?months to 1299 in the second 6?months, an annual increase in testing rate of 2.0 (0.7,3.4) from 16.3 to 18.3 per 1000 patients. CONCLUSION:There was a small increase in HIV testing rates over the study period, but this could not be attributed to the educational intervention. More effective and sustainable programmes tailored to each practice context are needed to change testing culture and HCP behaviour. Repeated training, supported by additional measures, such as testing prompts, may be needed to influence primary care HIV testing.

Project description:Background Between 2012 and 2015, the Uthando Lwethu (UL) study demonstrated that a theory-based behavioural couples-focused intervention significantly increased participation in couples HIV testing and counselling (CHTC) among South African couples who had never previously tested for HIV together or mutually disclosed their HIV status, 42% compared to 12% of the control group at 9 months follow-up. Although effective, we were nonetheless concerned that in this high prevalence setting the majority (58%) of intervention couples chose not to test together. In response we optimised the UL intervention and in a new study, ‘Igugu Lethu’, we are evaluating the success of the optimised intervention in promoting CHTC. Methods One hundred eighty heterosexual couples, who have been in a relationship together for at least 6 months, are being recruited and offered the optimised couples-focused intervention. In the Igugu Lethu study, we have expanded the health screening visit offered to couples to include other health conditions in addition to CHTC. Enrolled couples who choose to schedule CHTC will also have the opportunity to undertake a random blood glucose test, blood pressure and BMI measurements, and self-sample for STI testing as part of their health screening. Individual surveys are administered at baseline, 4 weeks and 4 months follow-up. The proportion of couples who decide to test together for HIV will be compared to the results of the intervention arm in the UL study (historical controls). To facilitate this comparison, we will use the same recruitment and follow-up strategies in the same community as the previous UL study. Discussion By strengthening communication and functioning within the relationship, the Igugu Lethu study, like the previous UL study, aims to transform the motivation of individual partners from a focus on their own health to shared health as a couple. The Igugu Lethu study findings will answer whether the optimised couples-focused behavioural intervention and offering CHTC as part of a broader health screening for couples can increase uptake of CHTC by 40%, an outcome that would be highly desirable in populations with high HIV prevalence. Trial registration Retrospectively registered. ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN 46162564 Registered on 26th May 2022. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13894-3.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Late diagnosis of HIV fosters HIV transmission and may lead to hidden HIV epidemics. In Belgium, mathematical modeling indicates a high prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infections among men who have sex with men of non-Belgian origin and among sub-Saharan African migrants. Promotion of HIV testing facilitates early diagnosis, but diagnostic opportunities are missed in primary care. OBJECTIVE:The intervention study aims to enhance provider-initiated HIV testing by GPs. This protocol presents the conceptual development, implementation, and evaluation of an HIV-testing intervention for Flemish general practitioners (GPs). METHODS:A mixed methods evaluation design is used. Guided by a simplified intervention mapping approach, an evidence-based intervention was developed in collaboration, guided by an interdisciplinary advisory board. The intervention consisted of an evidence-based tool (ie, "HIV-testing advice for primary care") to support GPs in provider-initiated HIV testing. A modified stepped-wedge design compare two different intervention levels: (1) online dissemination of the HIV-testing advice and (2) dissemination with additional group-level training. Both conditions were compared against a control condition with no intervention. The effect of the intervention was measured using Poisson regression for national surveillance data. The primary outcome was the number of HIV diagnoses made by GPs. Secondary outcomes were HIV diagnoses among groups at risk for undiagnosed HIV, distribution of new diagnoses by CD4 cell count, number of HIV tests prescribed by GPs, and rate of new diagnoses by tests. To evaluate the intervention's implementation, the GPs' fidelity to the intervention and the intervention's feasibility and acceptability by GPs were assessed through (web-based) surveys and in-depth telephone interviews. RESULTS:The study was funded in 2016 and ethically approved in January 2017. The implementation of the intervention started in January 2017 and ended in December 2018. Data was completed in October 2019 and was the starting point for the ongoing data analysis. The results are expected to be published in the second half of 2020. CONCLUSIONS:Results of the intervention study will provide useful information on the intervention's effectiveness among Flemish GPs and can inform further development of official testing guidelines. Limitations of this real-life intervention approach are potential spill-over effects, delay in access to surveillance data, and little detailed information on HIV-testing practices among GPs. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04056156; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04056156. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID):DERR1-10.2196/16486.

Project description:BackgroundIn Kenya, HIV incidence is highest among reproductive-age women. A key HIV mitigation strategy is the integration of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) into family planning services, but successful integration remains problematic. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial using the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) to identify and address bottlenecks in HTC integration in family planning clinics in Mombasa County, Kenya. This trial (1) assessed the efficacy of this approach and (2) examined if SAIA could be sustainably incorporated into the Department of Health Services (DOHS) programmatic activities. In Stage 1, SAIA was effective at increasing HTC uptake. Here, we present Stage 2, which assessed if SAIA delivery would be sustained when implemented by the Mombasa County DOHS and if high HTC performance would continue to be observed.MethodsTwenty-four family planning clinics in Mombasa County were randomized to either the SAIA implementation strategy or standard care. In Stage 1, the study staff conducted all study activities. In Stage 2, we transitioned SAIA implementation to DOHS staff and compared HTC in the intervention versus control clinics 1-year post-transition. Study staff provided training and minimal support to DOHS implementers and collected quarterly HTC outcome data. Interviews were conducted with family planning clinic staff to assess barriers and facilitators to sustaining HTC delivery.ResultsOnly 39% (56/144) of planned SAIA visits were completed, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a prolonged healthcare worker strike. In the final study quarter, 81.6% (160/196) of new clients at intervention facilities received HIV counseling, compared to 22.4% (55/245) in control facilities (prevalence rate ratio [PRR]=3.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.68-4.94). HIV testing was conducted with 60.5% (118/195) of new family planning clients in intervention clinics, compared to 18.8% (45/240) in control clinics (PRR=3.23, 95% CI=2.29-4.55). Interviews with family planning clinic staff suggested institutionalization contributed to sustained HTC delivery, facilitated by low implementation strategy complexity and continued oversight.ConclusionsIntervention clinics demonstrated sustained improvement in HTC after SAIA was transitioned to DOHS leadership despite wide-scale healthcare disruptions and incomplete delivery of the implementation strategy. These findings suggest that system interventions may be sustained when integrated into DOHS programmatic activities.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02994355) registered on 16 December 2016.

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Evaluation of the sustainability of an intervention to increase HIV testing.

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