Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29745311›Full record

ArticleJournal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care

Systemic Delays in the Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy for Clinically Eligible HIV-Infected Patients in Houston, Texas: The Providers' Report Card.

Osaro Mgbere, Maria Rodriguez-Barradas, Karen Joan Vigil, Melanie McNeese, Fazal Tabassam, Nadia Barahmani, Jason Wang, Raouf Arafat, Ekere James Essien

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 52% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Barriers to Rapid Enrollment and ART Initiation Among U.S. HIV Care Facilities.Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Osaro Mgbere1 Houston Health Department, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2863-6284
Maria Rodriguez-Barradas3 Infectious Diseases Section, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
Karen Joan Vigil5 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Melanie McNeese1 Houston Health Department, Houston, TX, USA.
Fazal Tabassam1 Houston Health Department, Houston, TX, USA.
Nadia Barahmani1 Houston Health Department, Houston, TX, USA.
Jason Wang1 Houston Health Department, Houston, TX, USA.
Raouf Arafat1 Houston Health Department, Houston, TX, USA.
Ekere James Essien2 Institute of Community Health, Texas Medical Center, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Houston Health and Human Services Department · USTexas Medical Center · USMichael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center · USThe University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe current US HIV treatment guidelines support initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for persons with HIV for personal health benefits and prevention of HIV transmission. However, high levels of adherence to ART are critical to maximize individual and public health benefits. We examined the nonclinical barriers to ART initiation for clinically eligible individuals and the provider- and patient-related factors associated with these barriers among HIV-infected patients in Houston/Harris County, Texas.

methodsWe analyzed data obtained from a probability sample of HIV medical care providers (HMCPs) in 13 outpatient facilities in Houston/Harris County, Texas surveyed between June and September 2009. We used an inductive thematic approach to code HMCP responses to an open-ended question that asked the main reasons why providers may delay initiating ART for clinically eligible patients.

resultsThe reasons cited by providers for delaying ART for clinically eligible patients were adherence (42.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 28.5-57.8), acceptance (30%; 95% CI: 18.1-45.4), and structural concerns (27.5%; 95% CI: 16.1-42.8), with significant variations ( P < .0001) noted across patients' race/ethnicity and transmission category. HIV medical care providers with 6 to 10 years' experience in HIV care and those providing medical care for more than 100 patients monthly were about 4 times (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.80; 95% CI: 1.20-5.92; P = .039) and 10 times (aOR: 10.36; 95% CI: 1.42-22.70; P = .019) more likely to state adherence and acceptance concerns, respectively, as reasons for delaying ART for clinically eligible patients.

conclusionOur findings highlight the fact that clinical guidelines are only a starting point for medical decision-making process and that patients themselves play an important role. HMCP access to referrals for other medical issues, support services, and treatment education may help improve adherence and patient readiness for ART, thereby avoiding systemic delays.

Indexed as

Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly ActiveDelivery of Health CareTime-to-TreatmentAdultAnti-HIV AgentsFemaleHealth PersonnelHIVHIV InfectionsHumansMaleMedication AdherenceMiddle AgedPractice Guidelines as TopicTexasAnti-HIV Agentsadherenceantiretroviral therapyclinical practiceHIV/AIDSHoustonproviderTexas

Identifiers

PMID29745311
PMCPMC6748492
OpenAlexW2802931226

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.