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. 2019 Jun;35(3):341-353.
doi: 10.1111/jrh.12345. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Differences in Receipt of Alcohol-Related Care Across Rurality Among VA Patients Living With HIV With Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Kara M Bensley  1   2   3 , John Fortney  1   2   4 , Gary Chan  2   5 , Julia C Dombrowski  6 , India Ornelas  2 , Anna D Rubinsky  7 , Gwen T Lapham  8 , Joseph E Glass  8 , Emily C Williams  1   2
Affiliations

Differences in Receipt of Alcohol-Related Care Across Rurality Among VA Patients Living With HIV With Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Kara M Bensley et al. J Rural Health. 2019 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: It is unknown whether receipt of evidence-based alcohol-related care varies by rurality among people living with HIV (PLWH) with unhealthy alcohol use-a population for whom such care is particularly important.

Methods: All positive screens for unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT-C ≥ 5) among PLWH were identified using Veterans Health Administration electronic health record data (10/1/09-5/30/13). Three domains of alcohol-related care were assessed: brief intervention (BI) within 14 days, and specialty addictions treatment or alcohol use disorder (AUD) medications (filled prescription for naltrexone, disulfiram, acamprosate, or topiramate) within 1 year of positive screen. Adjusted Poisson models and recycled predictions were used to estimate predicted prevalence of outcomes across rurality (urban, large rural, small rural), clustered on facility. Secondary analyses assessed outcomes in the subsample with documented AUD.

Findings: 4,581 positive screens representing 3,458 PLWH (3,112 urban, 130 large rural, and 216 small rural) were included; 49.1% had diagnosed AUD. PLWH in large rural areas had highest receipt of BI (urban 56.6%, 95% CI: 55.0-58.2; large rural 66.0%, CI: 58.6-73.5; small rural 60.7%, CI: 54.6-67.0). PLWH in urban areas had highest receipt of specialty addictions treatment (urban 28.2%, CI: 26.7-29.8; large rural 19.7%, CI: 13.1-26.2; small rural 19.6%, CI: 14.1-25.0). There was no difference in receipt of AUD medications, although overall receipt was low (3%-4%). Results were similar in the subsample with AUD.

Conclusion: Among PLWH with unhealthy alcohol use, those in rural areas may be vulnerable to under-receipt of specialty addictions treatment. Targeted interventions may help ensure PLWH receive recommended care regardless of rurality.

Keywords: HIV; alcohol-related care; rural; urban; veterans.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures: The authors have all approved the manuscript and declare that they have no conflicts of interest. The funders of this study had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Views presented in the manuscript are those of the authors and do not reflect those of the University of Washington, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Government.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Adjusted Predicted Prevalence and 95% Confidence Intervals for Receipt of Brief Intervention, Specialty Addictions Treatment, and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Medications among a National Sample of VA Patients Living with HIV with Unhealthy Alcohol Use Living in Urban, Large Rural, and Small Rural Areas (n=4,581)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adjusted Predicted Prevalence and 95% Confidence Intervals for Receipt of Brief Intervention, Specialty Addictions Treatment, and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Medications among a National Sample of VA Patients Living with HIV with Unhealthy Alcohol Use and Documented AUD Living in Urban, Large Rural, and Small Rural Areas (n=2,370)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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