How to investigate Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment ... - INRUD

How to Investigate Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment in Health Facilities: Adherence Indicators
Table 4. Patient Care Indicators
1. Patient knowledge of ARV regimen—Percent of patients who know when to take each of their
ARV medicine and how much to take each time
2. Patient waiting time—Average amount of time patients spend in the facility during a visit
3. Patient travel time to care—Average amount of time spent travelling to health facility to receive
care
4. Patient travel cost to care—Average cost for travelling to health facility to receive care
Table 5. Demographic Indicators
1. Average age of patients
2. Gender—Percentage of patients who are female
Facility Indicators Determinants
ARV Availability on Day of Data Collection
1. The percentage of a selected list of first-line adult ARVs currently in stock
2. The percentage of a selected list of first-line paediatric ARVs currently in stock
Rationale
Source of data
Data collection
Lack of availability of ARVs can be a key system-related barrier to adherence
Observation in health facility pharmacies on day of data collection
Check which medicines on a list of ARVs intended to be in stock are actually in
stock (any amount will do as long as it is in stock and in date)
Computation (Number of ARVs in stock/number of ARVs intended to be in stock) × 100
Comments
Key Medicine Availability
Before the survey, it is necessary to agree a list of up to 10 key first-line ARVs for
adults and children which should always be in stock.
3. The percentage of key medicines for HIV-associated illness currently in stock
Rationale
Source of data
Data collection
Lack of availability of key medicines needed to treat or prevent ARV side effects,
opportunistic infections, or other HIV-associated illnesses can be a barrier to ARV
adherence
Observation in health facility pharmacies on day of data collection
Check which medicines on a tracer list of key medicines needed to treat or prevent
HIV-associated opportunistic infections and other illness are actually in stock (any
amount will do as long as it is in stock and in date)
Computation (Number of medicines on tracer list in stock /number of medicines on tracer list) ×
100
Comments
Need to prepare tracer list of up to 10 key medicines
Without medicines, no successful treatment is possible. Even if there are no stock cards or
records, it is always possible to see the medicines that are present on the day of the data
collection. Because some facilities do not treat children and some do not treat adults, there
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