Integrating services to improve quality of care for women living with HIV: A global systematic review

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to review and analyse evidence on the impact of service integration on quality of care for women living with HIV. METHODS: Evidence search in September 2020 using the PICO format yielded 60 potential papers. Inclusion required evidence of measurement of an outcome associated with service delivery within a system showing clear integration of services exclusively for women living with HIV. In all, 60 papers were screened, 27 were excluded at the abstract stage, and 17 were excluded after full text review, leaving 20 final papers included in this review. RESULTS: Three papers measured the impact of integrating sexual health services and all showed some measure of improved quality of care. Outcome measures considered in this paper were impact on uptake, prevention, user satisfaction, user knowledge and cost-effectiveness. Ten papers studied the impact of integrating family planning, with eight papers suggesting positive outcomes. Eleven papers studied integrated cervical cytology services with 10 able to demonstrate positive impact. Two papers assessed integrating menopause services and two looked at integration of psychological and social services. The most described positive impact was improved user knowledge and satisfaction. There were two main methods of integration demonstrated, described as ‘upskilling’ of staff and ‘guest services’. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating services can create opportunities to improve the quality of patient-centred care whilst promoting the sexual, reproductive and human rights of women living with HIV, with an emphasis on designing services to suit local contexts.

• Population(s)
  • Women
  • General HIV+ population
• Health Systems
  • Delivery arrangements