As good as it gets? Retention in care of people newly diagnosed with HIV at the Sydney Sexual Health Centre
Dominic Rowley A E , Amel Ahmed A , Anna McNulty A B , Lynne Wray A C and Vickie Knight A DA Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Nightingale Wing, Sydney Hospital, 8 Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
B School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of NSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
C School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of NSW Australia, NSW 2052, Australia.
D The Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Building, University of NSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: dominicrowley@hotmail.com
Sexual Health 13(1) 96-98 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH15115
Submitted: 9 June 2015 Accepted: 7 October 2015 Published: 1 February 2016
Abstract
A retrospective review of all new HIV positive patients attending the Sydney Sexual Health Centre in 2012 and 2013 was performed to ascertain the retention in care rates, proportion that achieved viral suppression, number of SMS reminders sent and counselling uptake. Ninety-six patients had a retention rate of 66%. Thirty-three patients (34%) were not retained in care, 16 (17%) were knowingly attending another healthcare service with 17 (18%) categorised as lost to follow up. Counselling referrals had a 74% (71/96) uptake (95%CI: 5.08–69.69, P < 0.001), with SMS reminders sent in 97% (93/96) of cases (95%CI: not possible with zero count cells, P = 0.038). Overall, the clinic performed well compared with international standards but the lost to follow-up rate remains a concern.
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