Effectiveness of Disease Intervention Specialist-Delivered Services for HIV and STIs
Author Information
Author(s): Erika G. Martin, Arzana Myderrizi, Heeun Kim, Patrick Schumacher, Soyun Jeong, Thomas L. Gift, Angela B. Hutchinson, Kevin P. Delaney, Harrell W. Chesson
Primary Institution: Public Health Accreditation Board
Hypothesis
What is the program impact of partner services and other DIS-delivered interventions for HIV and STIs on clinical and epidemiological outcomes among index patients and their partners in the U.S.?
Conclusion
DIS-delivered interventions improve clinical outcomes among index patients and population outcomes for HIV and STIs, but the strength of evidence is generally low.
Supporting Evidence
- DIS-delivered interventions improved clinical outcomes among index patients.
- Many studies focused on program process measures rather than population-level epidemiologic outcomes.
- All but one study were scored as having low or medium strength of evidence.
Takeaway
This study shows that specialists who help people with HIV and STIs can make a big difference in getting patients the care they need, but we need better ways to measure how well these programs work.
Methodology
A systematic literature review with a narrative synthesis was conducted, analyzing studies that addressed DIS-delivered services for HIV and STIs.
Potential Biases
Many studies had non-equivalence of treatment groups and potential selection bias.
Limitations
The review did not include costs, was limited to US settings, and faced challenges in assessing the rigor of study designs due to incomplete information.
Participant Demographics
The studies included various populations, primarily focusing on individuals diagnosed with HIV or STIs and their partners.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 8.8–17.4
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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