Optimizing HIV treatment programs

Abstract

Purpose of review: Increasing demand for HIV treatment and limited resource availability will require the optimization of treatment programming to not only improve individual treatment outcomes, but also to maximize overall benefit for available resources.

Recent findings: Available research, although recognizing the importance of ensuring or improving treatment adherence, largely focuses on patient barriers or incentives. More research is necessary to examine how decisions made at all levels of treatment programming affect treatment outcomes.

Summary: Explicit decisions regarding treatment access, initiation, drug combinations, and potential termination of treatment along with addressing incentives and barriers to treatment adherence are necessary to maximize the overall benefit for available resources. This factor will depend on the involvement of the three main treatment actors, program managers, health practitioners, and patients.