A Conditional Economic Incentive Fails to Improve Linkage to Care and Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Among HIV-Positive Adults in Cape Town, South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Interventions to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) access are urgently needed to maximize the multiple benefits from ART. This pilot study examined the effect of a conditional economic incentive on linkage to care and uptake of treatment following ART referral by a mobile health clinic. Between April 2015 and May 2016, 86 individuals (≥18 years old) referred for ART in a resource-limited setting were randomized (1:1) to a control group or to an incentive: R300 cash (∼$23, or 3.5 days minimum wage in the domestic worker sector), conditional upon starting ART within 3 months. Outcome data were obtained from clinic records. The incentive effects on linkage to care (first clinic visit within 3 months) and ART initiation (treatment uptake within 3 months) were assessed using logistic regress

SUBMITTER: Maughan-Brown B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5808383 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature