Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32306930›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2020

Rapid point-of-care CD4 testing at mobile units and linkage to HIV care: an evaluation of community-based mobile HIV testing services in South Africa.

Rosa Sloot, Mary T Glenshaw, Margaret van Niekerk, Sue-Ann Meehan

Open access · goldAbstract readEvaluation Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 43% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
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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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Rosa SlootDesmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. sloot.rosa@gmail.com.
Mary T GlenshawDivision of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa.
Margaret van NiekerkDesmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
Sue-Ann MeehanDesmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation · ZAStellenbosch University · ZA

Funding

CGH CDC HHS U2G GH000320U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief U2GGH000320
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMobile HIV testing services (HTS) are effective at reaching undiagnosed people living with HIV. However, linkage to HIV care from mobile HTS is often poor, ranging from 10 to 60%. Point-of-care (POC) CD4 testing has shown to increase retention in health facilities, but little evidence exists about their use in mobile HTS. This study assessed the feasibility of POC CD4 test implementation and investigated linkage to HIV care among clients accepting a POC test at community-based mobile HTS.

methodsThis retrospective study used routinely collected data from clients who utilized community-based mobile HTS in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan district, South Africa between December 2014 and September 2016. A POC CD4 test was offered to all clients with an HIV positive diagnosis during this period, and a CD4 cell count was provided to clients accepting a POC CD4 test. Random effects logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with POC CD4 test uptake and self-reported linkage to care among clients accepting a POC test. Models were adjusted for sex, age, previous HIV test done, tuberculosis status and year of HIV diagnosis.

resultsOne thousand three hundred twenty-five of Thirty-nine thousand seven hundred ninety clients utilizing mobile HTS tested HIV positive (3%). 51% (679/1325) accepted a POC test. The age group with the highest proportion accepting a POC test was 50+ years (60%). Females were less likely to accept a POC test than males (odds ratio = 0.7, 95%CI = 0.6-0.8). Median CD4 count was 429 cells/μl (interquartile range = 290-584). Among 679 clients who accepted a POC CD4 test, 491 (72%) linked to HIV care. CD4 cell count was not associated with linkage to care.

conclusionOur findings suggest that mobile HTS can identify early HIV infection, and show that a high proportion of clients with a POC test result linked to care. Future research should assess factors associated with POC test acceptance and assess the impact of POC CD4 testing in comparison to alternative strategies to engage HIV positive people in care.

Indexed as

AdultCD4 Lymphocyte CountFemaleHIVHIV InfectionsHumansLogistic ModelsMaleMass ScreeningMiddle AgedMobile Health UnitsPatient Acceptance of Health CarePoint-of-Care SystemsRetrospective StudiesSouth AfricaLinkage to careMobile HIV testing services (HTS)Point-of-care CD4 testingSouth Africa

Identifiers

PMID32306930
PMCPMC7168973
OpenAlexW3016879738

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.