Category Archives: Health Systems
Towards universal voluntary HIV testing and counselling: A systematic review and meta-analysis of community-based approaches
BACKGROUND: Effective national and global HIV responses require a significant expansion of HIV testing and counselling (HTC) to expand access to prevention and care. Facility-based HTC, while essential, is unlikely...
Impact of small reductions in plasma HIV RNA levels on the risk of heterosexual transmission and disease progression
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of small changes in plasma levels of HIV-1 RNA on the risk of heterosexual transmission or disease progression to an AIDS-defining event or death. DESIGN...
Access to medications and medical care after participation in HIV clinical trials: A systematic review of trial protocols and informed consent documents
Background: Expectations regarding receipt of medications and medical care after clinical trials conclude may inform decisions about trial participation. We describe the frequency with which these posttrial services are described...
Cost-effectiveness of HIV/AIDS interventions in Africa: A systematic review of the evidence
BACKGROUND: Evidence for cost-effectiveness of interventions for HIV/AIDS in Africa is fragmentary. Cost-effectiveness is, however, highly relevant. African governments face difficult choices in striking the right balance between prevention, treatment,...
The effect of electronic medical record-based clinical decision support on HIV care in resource-constrained settings: A systematic review
Background: It is estimated that one million people infected with HIV initiate anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in resource-constrained countries annually. This occurs against a background of overburdened health workers with limited...
The effectiveness and cost implications of task-shifting in the delivery of antiretroviral therapy to HIV-infected patients: A systematic review
INTRODUCTION: Human resource shortages are a challenge to the rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected patients, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Task-shifting has been recommended as an approach to reduce...
School based sex education and HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis
OBJECTIVES: School-based sex education is a cornerstone of HIV prevention for adolescents who continue to bear a disproportionally high HIV burden globally. We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the existing evidence...
The association of hospital, clinic and provider volume with HIV/AIDS care and mortality: Systematic review and meta-analysis
The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the association between hospital, clinic and provider patient volumes on HIV/AIDS patient outcomes including mortality, antiretroviral (ARV) use and...
Lay health advisor interventions among Hispanics/Latinos: A qualitative systematic review
BACKGROUND: With an expanding Hispanic/Latino community in the United States, practitioners and researchers working to promote health and prevent disease have relied on lay health advisor (LHA) models to address...
