Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29997907›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2018

Performance of verbal autopsy methods in estimating HIV-associated mortality among adults in South Africa.

Aaron S Karat, Noriah Maraba, Mpho Tlali, Salome Charalambous, Violet N Chihota, Gavin J Churchyard, Katherine L Fielding, Yasmeen Hanifa, Suzanne Johnson, Kerrigan M McCarthy and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

13 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Aaron S KaratTB Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9643-664X
Noriah MarabaThe Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mpho TlaliThe Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Salome CharalambousThe Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Violet N ChihotaThe Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Gavin J ChurchyardTB Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Katherine L FieldingTB Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Yasmeen HanifaTB Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Suzanne JohnsonFoundation for Professional Development, Pretoria, South Africa.
Kerrigan M McCarthyThe Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Kathleen KahnMRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Daniel ChandramohanDepartment of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Alison D GrantTB Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
University of the Witwatersrand · ZALondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBAurum Institute · ZAFoundation for Professional Development · ZANational Health Laboratory Service · ZA

Funding

Medical Research Council G1100689Medical Research Council MR/K012126/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionVerbal autopsy (VA) can be integrated into civil registration and vital statistics systems, but its accuracy in determining HIV-associated causes of death (CoD) is uncertain. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of VA questions in determining HIV status and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and compared HIV-associated mortality fractions assigned by different VA interpretation methods.

methodsUsing the WHO 2012 instrument with added ART questions, VA was conducted for deaths among adults with known HIV status (356 HIV positive and 103 HIV negative) in South Africa. CoD were assigned using physician-certified VA (PCVA) and computer-coded VA (CCVA) methods and compared with documented HIV status.

resultsThe sensitivity of VA questions in detecting HIV status and ART initiation was 84.3% (95% CI 80 to 88) and 91.0% (95% CI 86 to 95); 283/356 (79.5%) HIV-positive individuals were assigned HIV-associated CoD by PCVA, 166 (46.6%) by InterVA-4.03, 201 (56.5%) by InterVA-5, and 80 (22.5%) and 289 (81.2%) by SmartVA-Analyze V.1.1.1 and V.1.2.1. Agreement between PCVA and older CCVA methods was poor (chance-corrected concordance [CCC] <0; cause-specific mortality fraction [CSMF] accuracy ≤56%) but better between PCVA and updated methods (CCC 0.21-0.75; CSMF accuracy 65%-98%). All methods were specific (specificity 87% to 96%) in assigning HIV-associated CoD.

conclusionAll CCVA interpretation methods underestimated the HIV-associated mortality fraction compared with PCVA; InterVA-5 and SmartVA-Analyze V.1.2.1 performed better than earlier versions. Changes to VA methods and classification systems are needed to track progress towards targets for reducing HIV-associated mortality.

Indexed as

AIDSepidemiologyhealth systemsHIVmedical demography

Identifiers

PMID29997907
PMCPMC6035502
OpenAlexW2811362411

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.