Optimizing HIV treatment programs.
OBJECTIVE
Increasing demand for HIV treatment and limited resource availability will require the optimization of treatment programming to not only improve individual treatment outcomes, but also to maximize overall benefit for available resources.


RESULTS
Available research, although recognizing the importance of ensuring or improving treatment adherence, largely focuses on patient barriers or incentives. More research is necessary to examine how decisions made at all levels of treatment programming affect treatment outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Explicit decisions regarding treatment access, initiation, drug combinations, and potential termination of treatment along with addressing incentives and barriers to treatment adherence are necessary to maximize the overall benefit for available resources. This factor will depend on the involvement of the three main treatment actors, program managers, health practitioners, and patients.
Center for Evaluation Research and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. sbautista@correo.insp.mx <sbautista@correo.insp.mx>
Sergio
S
Bautista-Arredondo
Tyler E
TE
Martz
Veronika J
VJ
Wirtz
Stefano M
SM
Bertozzi
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016903:Drug Monitoring
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents