THE USE OF HIV LOAD DETERNINATION FOR MONITORING THE QUALITY OF ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY IN SVERDLOVSK REGION

Abstract

Study objectives: To assess the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients living in Sverdlovsk Region, to examine the impact of operation of a multiprofessional team on the successfulness of antiretroviral therapy, and to study the 2-year dynamics of cases having undetectable HIV loads. Materials and methods: Based on digital database information, the virological effectiveness of ART in Sverdlovsk Region in 2013-2015 was assesses and the proportion of HIV patients having undetectable HIV loads was determined. The virological success was assumed to be a case where HIV load was found to below 50 copies per 1 mL of blood two times successively. Changed in the proportion of HIV patients having undetectable HIV loads were traced for two years. Results: In Sverdlovsk Region, the proportion of HIV patients having undetectable HIV load upon two successive tests was 63,9% and 70,6% in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The proportion of virological success cases varied in different territories from 80,1% (in Kamensk-Uralskiy) to 27,1% (in Degtiask) in 2013 and from 89,2% to 31,7% in 2015 in the same places. The operation of a multiprofessional team in a territory was associated with a higher proportion of HIV patients with suppressed viremia (68,6% and 76% where a multiprofessional team was present in 2013 and 2015, respectively, vs. 52,3% and 58,1% where no such team was organized). Conclusion: HIV load monitoring based on data included in a unified informa- tional system may be used to assess the quality of health care provided to HIV patients. The presence of a multiprofessional team correlated with higher rates of virological success. From 2013 to 2015, the proportion of HIV patients having undetectable HIV loads increased in Sverdlovsk Region.