Retaining Patients in Care: Can We Afford Not to Do It?

As we focus more on the HIV care continuum, it is clear that failing to retain patients in care is a major barrier to increasing the proportion of HIV-infected individuals who are virologically suppressed. Retention in care is difficult to measure, but 4-month visit consistency (i.e., ≥1 primary care visit every 4 months over a 12-month period) is one factor that has been associated with virologic suppression. To estimate the cost of increasing retention, researchers analyzed the results of an earlier study conducted in six HIV clinics in the U.S. (NEJM JW AIDS Clin Care Sep 17 2012) to test an enhanced-contact intervention.

Using microcosting direct measurements to account for all fixed and variable expenses attributable to the intervention…