Treatment eligibility and retention in clinical HIV care: A regression discontinuity study in South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Loss to follow-up is high among HIV patients not yet receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Clinical trials have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of early ART; however, these trials may miss an important real-world consequence of providing ART at diagnosis: its impact on retention in care.

Methods and findings

We examined the effect of immediate (versus deferred) ART on retention in care using a regression discontinuity design. The analysis included all patients (N = 11,306) entering clinical HIV care with a first CD4 count between 12 August 2011 and 31 December 2012 in a public-sector HIV care and treatment program in rural South Africa. Patients were assigned to immediate versus deferred ART eligibility, as determined by a CD4 count < 350 cells/μl, per South

SUBMITTER: Bor J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5705070 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature