POC CD4 Testing Improves Linkage to HIV Care and Timeliness of ART Initiation in a Public Health Approach: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

CD4 cell count is an important test in HIV programs for baseline risk assessment, monitoring of ART where viral load is not available, and, in many settings, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation decisions. However, access to CD4 testing is limited, in part due to the centralized conventional laboratory network. Point of care (POC) CD4 testing has the potential to address some of the challenges of centralized CD4 testing and delays in delivery of timely testing and ART initiation. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the extent to which POC improves linkages to HIV care and timeliness of ART initiation.

Methods

We searched two databases and four conference sites between January 2005 and April 2015 for studies reporting test turnaround t

SUBMITTER: Vojnov L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4866695 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature