HIV Cascade - Continuum of Care Stages and Outcomes in Patients Diagnosed with HIV Infection at a Hospital in Southern Brazil - Abstract
Introduction: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continuum of care cascade illustrates the 90-90-90 goals defined by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The care cascade includes the following five steps: diagnosis, linkage to care, retention in care, adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), and viral suppression. This study aimed to identify the continuum of care stages and outcomes in patients diagnosed with HIV infection at the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Hospital (HNSC). Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with HIV infection from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2016 and followed up until July 31st, 2019. The data were analyzed by the IBM SPSS software version 25, and Poisson regression with simple robust variance was used to analyze variables in relation to each step of the cascade. Variables with p < 0.20 were included in multivariable analysis, with p < 0.05 considered significant. The Pearson’s chi-square test was used to compare the groups of patients followed up at the HNSC and those followed up at other sites. Results: The results were lower than those expected by the UNAIDS, with 94% of patients linked, 91% retained, 81% adhering to ART, and 84% in viral suppression. Age and site of follow-up were the variables with the highest statistical significance. A comparison showed that the cascade of patients from the HNSC had superior results than outpatients, with a significant difference in the last step of the cascade. Conclusions: The specialized and continued care provided at the HNSC was associated with better results and was closer to the goals set by the UNAIDS. The development of the HIV cascade using local data allowed for the stratification and evaluation of risk factors associated with the losses occurring between each step of the cascade, to develop new directed strategies to reach the 90-90-90 goal in future assessments.