What Happens to Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy Who Transfer Out to Another Facility?
Author Information
Author(s): Kwong-Leung Yu, Tok Teck-Siang, Tsai Jih-Jin, Chang Wu-Shou, Dzimadzi Rose K., Yen Ping-Hsiang, Makombe Simon D., Nkhata Amon, Schouten Erik J., Kamoto Kelita, Harries Anthony D.
Primary Institution: Mzuzu Central Hospital, Malawi
Hypothesis
What happens to patients who transfer out from one ART facility to another?
Conclusion
Patients who transfer out from Mzuzu Central Hospital are often successfully traced and have better survival outcomes compared to those who do not transfer.
Supporting Evidence
- 19% of patients transferred out from the original ART facility.
- 92% of those who transferred out were traced to a new facility.
- Median time between transferring out and in was 1.3 months.
- Survival probability was better for patients who transferred out compared to those who did not.
Takeaway
When patients on HIV treatment move to a new clinic, most of them continue their treatment and stay healthy.
Methodology
Patients who transferred out were traced to determine their treatment outcomes at new facilities.
Potential Biases
Potential for underreporting of transfer-outs if patients do not inform their original clinic.
Limitations
Some patients who transferred out could not be traced, and reasons for this are speculative.
Participant Demographics
The study included 4175 patients, with 61% being female and 10% being children under 15 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.3–0.6
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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