Source: globalhealth.washington.edu
Monitoring HIV treatment with laboratory testing introduces delays for providing appropriate care in resource-limited settings. The aim of this study was to determine whether point-of-care HIV viral load testing with task shifting changed treatment and care outcomes for adults on antiretroviral therapy (ART) when compared with standard laboratory viral load testing.
Researchers did an open-label, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial in a public clinic in Durban, South Africa, enrolling HIV-positive adults (aged ≥18 years) who presented for their first routine HIV viral load test 6 months after ART initiation.
The primary outcome was combined viral suppression (<200 copies per mL) and retention at 12 months after enrollment.