Data on HIV/AIDS Described by K.C. Osilla et al

"Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV coinfection is common and liver disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among coinfected patients. Despite advances in HCV treatment, few HIV coinfected patients actually initiate treatment," scientists writing in the journal Aids Patient Care and STDS report.

"We examined patient and provider characteristics associated with a patient's decision to accept or refuse HCV treatment once offered. We conducted patient chart abstraction and surveys with 127 HIV coinfected patients who were offered HCV treatment by their provider and surveys of their HCV care providers at three HIV clinics. Participants were mostly male (87%), minority (66%), and had a history of injection drug use (60%). Most had been diagnosed with HIV for several years (X=13.7 years) and reported HIV transmission through unprotected sex (47%). Of the 127 patients, 79 accepted treatment. In multivariate analysis, patients who had a CD4 greater than 200 cells/mm(3) and a provider with more confidence about HCV treatment were more likely to accept the recommendation to start treatment; younger age was marginally associated with treatment acceptance. In bivariate analysis, added correlates of treatment acceptance included male gender, no recent drug use, and several prov! ider attitudes regarding treatment and philosophy about determination of patient treatment readiness. Patient and provider characteristics are important when understanding a patient's decision to start or defer HCV treatment," wrote K.C. Osilla and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "Further research is needed to better understand barriers to treatment uptake as new and more effective HCV treatments will soon be available."

Osilla and colleagues published their study in Aids Patient Care and STDS (Patient and Provider Characteristics Associated with the Decision of HIV Coinfected Patients to Start Hepatitis C Treatment. Aids Patient Care and STDS, 2011;25(9):533-538).

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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