Outcomes of HIV-positive patients lost to follow-up in African treatment programmes.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The retention of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is key to achieving global targets in response to the HIV epidemic. Loss to follow-up (LTFU) can be substantial, with unknown outcomes for patients lost to ART programmes. We examined changes in outcomes of patients LTFU over calendar time, assessed associations with other study and programme characteristics and investigated the relative success of different tracing methods.

Methods

We performed a systematic review and logistic random-effects meta-regression analysis of studies that traced adults or children who started ART and were LTFU in sub-Saharan African treatment programmes. The primary outcome was mortality, and secondary outcomes were undocumented transfer to another programme, treatment interruptio

SUBMITTER: Zurcher K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5580236 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature