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A mixed methods study of HIV-related services in buprenorphine treatment.

ABSTRACT: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major risk factor in the acquisition and transmission of HIV. Clinical practice guidelines call for the integration of HIV services in OUD treatment. This mixed methods study describes the integration of HIV services in buprenorphine treatment and examines whether HIV services vary by prescribers' medical specialty and across practice settings.Data were obtained via qualitative interviews with buprenorphine experts (n = 21) and mailed surveys from US buprenorphine prescribers (n = 1174). Survey measures asked about screening for HIV risk behaviors at intake, offering HIV education, recommending all new patients receive HIV testing, and availability of on-site HIV testing. Prescribers' medical specialty, practice settings, caseload demographics, and physician demographics were measured. Multivariate models of HIV services were estimated, while accounting for the nesting of physicians within states.Qualitative interviews revealed that physicians often use injection behaviors as the primary indicator for whether a patient should be tested for HIV. Interviews revealed that HIV-related services were often viewed as beyond the scope of practice among general psychiatrists. Surveys indicated that prescribers screened for an average of 3.2 of 5 HIV risk behaviors (SD = 1.6) at intake. About 62.0% of prescribers delivered HIV education to patients and 53.2% recommended HIV testing to all new patients, but only 32.3% offered on-site HIV testing. Addiction specialists and psychiatrists screened for significantly more HIV risk behaviors than physicians in other specialties. Addiction specialists and psychiatrists were significantly less likely than other physicians to offer on-site testing. Physicians in individual medical practice were significantly less likely to recommend HIV testing and to offer onsite testing than physicians in other settings.Buprenorphine treatment providers have not uniformly integrated HIV-related screening, education, and testing services for patients. Differences by medical specialty and practice setting suggest an opportunity for targeting efforts to increase implementation.

SUBMITTER: Knudsen HK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5559779 | biostudies-other | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:IntroductionThere has been insufficient attention to long-term care and treatment for pregnant women diagnosed with HIV.Objective and methodsThis prospective cohort study of 100 HIV-positive women recruited within pregnancy-related services in a district hospital in Kenya employed quantitative methods to assess attrition between women testing HIV-positive in pregnancy-related services and accessing long-term HIV care and treatment services. Qualitative methods were used to explore barriers and facilitators to navigating these services. Structured questionnaires were administered to cohort participants at enrolment and 90+ days later. Participants' medical records were monitored prospectively. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with a sub-set of 19 participants.FindingsOnly 53/100 (53%) women registered at an HIV clinic within 90 days of HIV diagnosis, of whom 27/53 (51%) had a CD4 count result in their file. 11/27 (41%) women were eligible for immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART); only 6/11 (55%) started ART during study follow-up. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, factors associated with registration at the HIV clinic within 90 days of HIV diagnosis were: having cared for someone with HIV (aOR:3.67(95%CI:1.22, 11.09)), not having to pay for transport to the hospital (aOR:2.73(95%CI:1.09, 6.84)), and having received enough information to decide to have an HIV test (aOR:3.61(95%CI:0.83, 15.71)). Qualitative data revealed multiple factors underlying high patient drop-out related to women's social support networks (e.g. partner's attitude to HIV status), interactions with health workers (e.g. being given unclear/incorrect HIV-related information) and health services characteristics (e.g. restricted opening hours, long waiting times).ConclusionHIV testing within pregnancy-related services is an important entry point to HIV care and treatment services, but few women successfully completed the steps needed for assessment of their treatment needs within three months of diagnosis. Programmatic recommendations include simplified pathways to care, better-tailored counselling, integration of ART into antenatal services, and facilitation of social support.

Project description:BackgroundLow retention is a persistent challenge in the delivery of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). The goal of this study was to identify provider factors that could drive differences in treatment retention while accounting for the contribution of patient characteristics to retention.MethodsWe developed a novel a mixed-methods approach to explore provider factors that could drive retention while accounting for patient characteristics. We used Medicaid claims data from North Carolina in the United States to identify patient characteristics associated with higher retention. We then identified providers who achieved high and low retention rates. We matched high- and low-retention providers on their patients' characteristics. This matching created high- and low-retention provider groups whose patients had similar characteristics. We then interviewed providers while blinded to which belonged in the high- and low-retention groups on aspects of their practice that could affect retention rates, such as treatment criteria, treatment cost, and services offered.ResultsLess than half of patients achieved 180-day treatment retention with large differences by race and ethnicity. We did not find evidence that providers who achieved higher retention consistently did so by providing more comprehensive services or selecting for more stable patients. Rather, our findings suggest use of "high-threshold" clinical approaches, such as requiring participation in psychosocial services or strictly limiting dosages, explain differences in retention rates between providers whose patients have similar characteristics. All low-retention providers interviewed used a high-threshold practice compared to half of high-retention providers interviewed. Requiring patients to participate in psychosocial services, which were often paid out-of-pocket, appeared to be especially important in limiting retention.ConclusionProviders who adopt low-threshold approaches to treatment may achiever higher retention rates than those who adopt high-threshold approaches. Addressing cost barriers and systemic racism are likely also necessary for improving buprenorphine treatment retention.

Project description:BackgroundBurnout among Health Care workers (HCWs) impacts on provider-patient relations and quality of care. Anova Health Institute (Anova) is a large South African non-profit organization and PEPFAR/USAID implementing partner. We conducted a study among HCWs providing HIV-related services in primary care settings in Johannesburg, South Africa, to examine levels of burnout, understand factors affecting workplace wellbeing, and explore strategies to prevent burnout.MethodsWe used a sequential mixed-method approach. Data were collected between February and April 2022. The first phase consisted of a survey using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) to measure levels of burnout. We then interviewed a subset of survey participants to understand the experiences that may affect wellbeing. We used descriptive statistics to quantify burnout rates for each MBI dimension (emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization). Qualitative data analysis was guided by the Job Demands-Resources Framework that explores the interactions between demands and resources in the workplace.ResultsSurvey findings (n = 194) revealed that although depersonalization rates were low at 6%, 21% of participants had high emotional exhaustion and 24% reported low professional accomplishment. Less than half (41%, n = 80) had scores in the high category for any one of the three MBI-HSS dimensions. The MBI-HSS dimensions differed significantly by type of work and job title. Roving positions (HCW working in more than one health facility) were more likely to experience higher emotional exhaustion and lower professional accomplishment. Qualitative findings (n = 25) indicate that a number of job demands, including high workload, inadequate mental health support, and challenging relationships with stakeholders, had a negative effect on HCWs' wellbeing. However, finding meaningfulness in their work, working as a team, and practicing autonomy were experienced as resources that reduced the negative effect of these demands.ConclusionWhile measured burnout syndrome rates were low, various experiences negatively impacted at least one in five HCW. We identified key resources that provided buffering against workplace stressors. We recommend that as well as addressing key drivers of burnout, access to these resources should be fostered, for example by strengthening interventions that offer recognition, and promoting team interactions through social activities and support groups.

Project description:BackgroundConducting high quality investigator-initiated trials (IITs) is challenging and costly. The costs of investigational medicinal products (IMPs) in IITs and the role of hospital pharmacies in the planning of IITs are unclear. We conducted a mixed-methods study to compare planned and actual costs of IMPs in Swiss IITs, to examine potential reasons for differences, and to gather stakeholder views about hospital services for IITs.MethodsWe included all IITs with IMP services from the Basel hospital pharmacy invoiced between January 2014 and June 2020 (n = 24). We documented trial and IMP characteristics including planned and actual IMP costs. Our working definition for a substantial cost difference was that the actual IMP costs were more than 10% higher than the planned IMP costs in a trial. We conducted semi-structured interviews with investigators, clinical trials unit and hospital pharmacy staff, and qualitatively analyzed transcribed interviews.ResultsFor 13 IITs we observed no differences between planned and actual costs of IMPs (median, 11'000 US$; interquartile range [IQR], 8'882-16'302 US$), but for 11 IITs we found cost increases from a median of 11'000 US$ (IQR, 8'922-36'166 US$) to a median over 28'000 US$ (IQR, 13'004-49'777 US$). All multicenter trials and 10 of 11 IITs with patients experienced substantial cost differences. From the interviews we identified four main themes: 1) Patient recruitment and organizational problems were identified as main reasons for cost differences, 2) higher actual IMP costs were bearable for most investigators, 3) IMP services for IITs were not a priority for the hospital pharmacy, and 4) closer collaboration between clinical trial unit and hospital pharmacy staff, and sufficient staff for IITs at the hospital pharmacy could improve IMP services.ConclusionsMulticenter IITs enrolling patients are particularly at risk for higher IMP costs than planned. These trials are more difficult to plan and logistically challenging, which leads to delays and expiring IMP shelf-lives. IMP services of hospital pharmacies are important for IITs in Switzerland, but need to be further developed.

Project description:BackgroundHIV assisted partner services (aPS) is an intervention to improve HIV status awareness among sex and drug-injecting partners of people newly diagnosed with HIV (index clients). Implementation fidelity-the degree to which an intervention is conducted as intended - is critical to effectiveness, but there are limited data about aPS fidelity when delivered by HIV testing service (HTS) providers. We explored factors affecting implementation fidelity to aPS in two high-HIV prevalence counties in western Kenya.MethodsWe used convergent mixed methods adapting the conceptual framework for implementation fidelity within the aPS scale-up project. This was an implementation study examining scale-up of APS within HTS programs in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties that recruited male sex partners (MSPs) of female index clients. We defined implementation fidelity as the extent to which HTS providers followed the protocol for phone and in-person participant tracing at six expected tracing attempts. Quantitative data were collected from tracing reports in 31 facilities between November 2018 and December 2020, and in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with HTS providers. Descriptive statistics were used to describe tracing attempts. IDIs were analyzed using thematic content analysis.ResultsOverall, 3017 MSPs were mentioned of whom 98% (2969/3017) were traced, with most tracing attempts being successful (2831/2969, 95%). Fourteen HTS providers participated in the IDIs-mostly females (10/14, 71%) with a median age of 35 years (range 25-52), who all had post-secondary education (14/14, 100%). The proportion of tracing attempts occurring by phone ranged from 47 to 66%, with the highest proportion occurring on the first attempt and lowest on the sixth attempt. Contextual factors either enhanced or impeded implementation fidelity to aPS. Positive provider attitudes towards aPS and conducive work environment factors promoted implementation fidelity, while negative MSP responses and challenging tracing conditions impeded it.ConclusionInteractions at the individual (provider), interpersonal (client-provider), and health systems (facility) levels affected implementation fidelity to aPS. As policymakers prioritize strategies to reduce new HIV infections, our findings highlight the importance of conducting fidelity assessments to better anticipate and mitigate the impact of contextual factors during the scale-up of interventions.

Project description:IntroductionThere is growing awareness that cancer services need to address patients' well-being as well as treating their cancer. We developed systematic approaches to (1) monitoring patients' symptoms including depression using a 'Symptom Monitoring Service' and (2) providing treatment for those with major depression using a programme called 'Depression Care for People with Cancer'. Used together, these two programmes were found to be highly effective and cost-effective in clinical trials. The overall aims of this project are to: (1) study the process of introducing these programmes into routine clinical care in a large cancer service, (2) identify the challenges associated with implementation and how these are overcome, (3) determine their effectiveness in a routine non-research setting and (4) describe patients' and clinicians' experience of the programmes.Methods and analysisThis is a mixed-methods longitudinal implementation study. We will study the process of implementation in three phases (April 2016-December 2018): 'Pre-implementation' (setting up of the new programmes), 'Early Implementation' (implementation of the programmes in a small number of clinics) and 'Implementation and Maintenance' (implementation in the majority of clinics). We will use the following methods of data collection: (1) contemporaneous logs of the implementation process, (2) interviews with healthcare professionals and managers, (3) interviews with patients and (4) routinely collected clinical data.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been reviewed by a joint committee of Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust Research and Development Department and the University of Oxford's Clinical Trials and Research Governance Department and judged to be service evaluation, not requiring ethics committee approval. The findings of this study will guide the scaling up implementation of the programmes across the UK and will enable us to construct an implementation toolkit. We will disseminate our findings in publications and at relevant national and international conferences.

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A mixed methods study of HIV-related services in buprenorphine treatment.

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