Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Oct:14 Suppl 3:19-24.
doi: 10.1111/hiv.12070.

Quality of HIV care in the United Kingdom: key indicators for the first 12 months from HIV diagnosis

Affiliations
Free article

Quality of HIV care in the United Kingdom: key indicators for the first 12 months from HIV diagnosis

V Delpech et al. HIV Med. 2013 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Objectives: Prompt HIV diagnosis and treatment are associated with increased longevity and reduced transmission. The aim of the study was to examine late diagnoses and to assess the quality of care following diagnosis.

Methods: National surveillance and cohort data were used to examine late HIV diagnoses and to assess the quality of care received in the 12 months following HIV diagnosis.

Results: In 2011, 79% (4910/6219) of persons (15 years and over) diagnosed with HIV infection had CD4 counts reported within 3 months; of these, 49% were diagnosed late (CD4 count < 350 cells/μL). Adults aged 50 years and over were more likely to be diagnosed late (67%) compared with those aged 15-24 years (31%). Sixty-four per cent of heterosexual men were diagnosed late compared with 46% of women and 36% of men who have sex with men (MSM) (P < 0.01). The percentage of late diagnoses was highest among black African adults (66%) compared with other ethnicities; 96% of black African adults diagnosed late were born abroad. Overall, 88% and 97% of patients were linked to care within 1 and 3 months of diagnosis, respectively, with little variation by demographics and exposure category. The crude 1-year mortality rate was 31.6 per 1000 persons diagnosed in 2010. It was highest among adults diagnosed late (40.3/1000 versus 5.2/1000 for prompt diagnoses) and particularly among those aged 50 years and over. Excluding deaths, 85% of the 5833 diagnosed in 2010 were retained in care in 2011; 92% of the 2264 adults diagnosed late in 2010 received antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2011.

Conclusions: The National Health Service provides high-quality care to persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the UK, with no evidence of health inequalities. Despite excellent care, half of adults are diagnosed late according to the threshold at which national guidelines recommend treatment should begin. Such patients have an 8-fold increased risk of 1-year mortality compared with those diagnosed promptly. Reducing late diagnosis of HIV infection remains a public health priority in the UK.

Keywords: ART coverage; late diagnosis; link to and retention in HIV care; mortality.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources