Overcoming Challenges to HIV Medical Care-seeking and Treatment Among Data-to-Care Program Clients in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana.
James W Carey, Katherine B Roland, Patricia A Bessler and 3 others
PMID 36524875WHAT IT FOUND
Clients described barriers such as transportation, cost, depression, and negative clinic experiences.
After navigation assistance, 91.7% reported consistent care and HIV medication use. Nurses can ask about specific barriers before assuming nonadherence.
Key findings
01Clients cited individual barriers such as mental health and structural barriers such as homelessness, lack of money, and lack of transportation.
02After data-to-care assistance, 91.7% (N = 33) reported consistently receiving HIV care and taking ART as prescribed.
03The most common assistance was transportation (38.9%, N = 14), appointment help (33.3%, N = 12), and paying healthcare costs (30.6%, N = 11).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study only included clients who had been reached and enrolled in the data-to-care program, so it does not represent people the program could not locate or who refused services. Care and ART use were self-reported, and the researchers had no medical records to confirm them. The interviews were cross-sectional, so they cannot show how long clients stayed in care after the interview. The sample was modest at 36 clients and limited to Baton Rouge and New Orleans, so results may not apply to other programs. There was no comparison group, so the study cannot show that data-to-care assistance caused the reported changes.
Declared interests
The article is labeled as supported by U.S. government Public Health Service research. The authors report no real or perceived vested interests. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 91.7% who reported consistent care as proof that data-to-care assistance caused or sustained HIV care. The study is qualitative, self-reported, cross-sectional, and had no medical records or long-term follow-up.