title: Identifying Best Practices for Increasing Linkage to, Retention, and Re-engagement in HIV Medical Care: Findings from a Systematic Review, 1996-2014.
abstract: A systematic review was conducted to identify best practices for increasing linkage, retention and re-engagement in HIV care (LRC) for persons living with HIV (PLWH). Our search strategy consisted of automated searches of electronic databases and hand searches of journals, reference lists and listservs. We developed two sets of criteria: evidence-based to identify evidence-based interventions (EBIs) tested with a comparison group and evidence-informed to identify evidence-informed interventions (EIs) tested with a one-group design. Eligible interventions included being published between 1996 and 2014, U.S.-based studies with a comparison or one-group designs with pre-post data, international randomized controlled trials, and having objective measures of LRC-relevant outcomes. We identified 10 best practices: 5 EBIs and 5 EIs. None focused on re-engagement. Providers and prevention planners can use the review findings to identify best practices suitable for their clinics, agencies, or communities to increase engagement in care for PLWH, ultimately leading to viral suppression.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-37, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. dhiga@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Darrel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Higa
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-37, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Crepaz
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-37, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mullins
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
keywords: Best practices; Engagement in HIV care; Evidence-based interventions; Linkage to HIV care; Retention in HIV care; Systematic review