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A new study carried out in South
Africa suggests that nurse-centered care of patients with HIV can be as
effective as doctor-provided care, and it offers some particular benefits.
Researchers from the University of
East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom and the University of Cape Town in
South Africa coordinated with other universities on the project — a two-year
randomized controlled trial involving 15,000 patients in Free State, South
Africa.
The study marked the first time
scientists have investigated doctor-to-nurse task-shifting on such a large
scale. The results indicated a number of benefits for patients in
nurse-centered care. These included significantly improved TB detection,
increased white blood-cell counts, weight gain and better treatment compliance.
In addition: When nurses, rather than doctors, administered antiretrovirals,
survival rates were not negatively affected.
“Our findings show that with very
little extra training and support, nurses can deliver HIV care that is just as
safe and effective as that provided by doctors,” said Professor Max Bachmann,
joint lead author, of UEA’s Norwich Medical School.
The study, “Task Shifting of
Antiretroviral Treatment from Doctors to Primary-Care Nurses in South Africa
(STRETCH): A Pragmatic, Parallel, Cluster-Randomized Trial,” was published
online in the Lancet (2012;doi:10.1016/S01040-6736(12)60730-2).
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
