TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Community ART Groups on retention-in-care among patients on ART in Tete Province, Mozambique: a cohort study
AU - Decroo, Tom
AU - Telfer, Barbara
AU - Dores, Carla Das
AU - White, Richard A
AU - Santos, Natacha Dos
AU - Mkwamba, Alec
AU - Dezembro, Sergio
AU - Joffrisse, Mariano
AU - Ellman, Tom
AU - Metcalf, Carol
N1 - © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Estimate the effect of participation in Community ART Groups (CAG) versus individual care on retention-in-care (RIC) on antiretroviral therapy (ART).DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.SETTING: High levels of attrition (death or loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) combined) on ART indicate that delivery models need to adapt in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, patients more than 6 months on ART began forming CAG, and took turns to collect ART refills at the health facility, in Tete Province, Mozambique,.PARTICIPANTS: 2406 adult patients, retained in care for at least 6 months after starting ART, during the study period (date of CAG introduction at the health facility-30 April 2012).METHODS: Data up to 30 April 2012 were collected from patient records at eight health facilities. Survival analysis was used to compare RIC among patients in CAG and patients in individual care, with joining a CAG treated as an irreversible time-dependent variable. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate the effect of CAG on RIC, adjusted for age, sex and health facility type and stratified by calendar cohort.RESULTS: 12-month and 24-monthRIC from the time of eligibility were, respectively, 89.5% and 82.3% among patients in individual care and 99.1% and 97.5% among those in CAGs (p<0.0001). CAG members had a greater than fivefold reduction in risk of dying or being LTFU (adjusted HR: 0.18, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.29).CONCLUSIONS: Among patients on ART, RIC was substantially better among those in CAGs than those in individual care. This study confirms that patient-driven ART distribution through CAGs results in higher RIC among patients who are stable on ART.
AB - OBJECTIVES: Estimate the effect of participation in Community ART Groups (CAG) versus individual care on retention-in-care (RIC) on antiretroviral therapy (ART).DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.SETTING: High levels of attrition (death or loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) combined) on ART indicate that delivery models need to adapt in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, patients more than 6 months on ART began forming CAG, and took turns to collect ART refills at the health facility, in Tete Province, Mozambique,.PARTICIPANTS: 2406 adult patients, retained in care for at least 6 months after starting ART, during the study period (date of CAG introduction at the health facility-30 April 2012).METHODS: Data up to 30 April 2012 were collected from patient records at eight health facilities. Survival analysis was used to compare RIC among patients in CAG and patients in individual care, with joining a CAG treated as an irreversible time-dependent variable. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate the effect of CAG on RIC, adjusted for age, sex and health facility type and stratified by calendar cohort.RESULTS: 12-month and 24-monthRIC from the time of eligibility were, respectively, 89.5% and 82.3% among patients in individual care and 99.1% and 97.5% among those in CAGs (p<0.0001). CAG members had a greater than fivefold reduction in risk of dying or being LTFU (adjusted HR: 0.18, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.29).CONCLUSIONS: Among patients on ART, RIC was substantially better among those in CAGs than those in individual care. This study confirms that patient-driven ART distribution through CAGs results in higher RIC among patients who are stable on ART.
KW - Adult
KW - Anti-HIV Agents/therapeutic use
KW - Community Health Services
KW - Community Participation
KW - Delivery of Health Care/methods
KW - Female
KW - Group Processes
KW - HIV Infections/drug therapy
KW - Health Facilities
KW - Health Services Accessibility
KW - Humans
KW - Lost to Follow-Up
KW - Male
KW - Mozambique
KW - Patient Dropouts
KW - Proportional Hazards Models
KW - Qualitative Research
KW - Retrospective Studies
KW - Survival Analysis
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016800
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016800
M3 - A1: Web of Science-article
C2 - 28801427
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 7
SP - e016800
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 8
ER -