[ARCHIVED] Adherence & Retention

Discussion Brief

Frequently used to describe patients who stop coming to appointments and cannot be located, loss-to-follow-up (LTFU) is a critical issue for HIV care. Data from a diverse range of HIV treatment programs in resource limited settings show LTFU rates ranging from 5% to 40% within 6 month of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, with extensive clinical impact and associated costs (Losina 2009).

In this discussion, members debate how to define LTFU in program evaluations and analyses of adherence. Practitioners and researchers share their experiences in the field and key references on LTFU, patient retention, and adherence.

Sign in to read complete brief

• Pharmacy refill adherence compared with CD4 count changes for monitoring
• Not All Missed Doses Are the Same: Sustained NNRTI Treatment Interruptions Predict HIV Rebound at Low-to-Moderate Adherence Levels
• ACTG Adherence Baseline and Follow up Questionnaires
• Addressing food insecurity for better adherence
• Practical and conceptual challenges in measuring antiretroviral adherence

• To count lost to-follow-up (LTFU) as part of adherence denominator?
• NY Times article on patients lost to follow up in Kenya
• Transportation and adherence : share with us your organization's experience
• Proven interventions to improve initial linkage-- between positive test and first attendance at clinic?
• Using mean corpuscular volume (MCV) to assess drug exposure