7‐11 November 2010, Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection, Glasgow, UK

Purpose of the study: We previously identified that a great amount of newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients were lost to follow up after the diagnosis. The aim of the present study is to describe the characteristics of the newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients who are lost to follow up. Methods: We reviewed the clinical charts of the adult (>18 y/o) patients who attended for the first time our HIV clinic between 1/Jan/2005 and 31/Dec/2010. Among the patients who were newly diagnosed with HIV infection, we identified those who consulted the clinic only once. We considered patients were lost to follow up if they never came back within 12 months. We compared age, gender, nationality, education level and socioeconomic characteristics between those patients who were lost to follow and those who continue HIV care. We considered the first visit the one in which the patient was informed about his/her HIV seropositive condition. Summary of results: We included 504 patients, 179 (35.5%) never came back after the first visit. Patients who were lost to follow up (A) were younger (mean age 33.8 vs. 39.07 y/o) than those who continue follow up (B). We identified 11/179 patients older than 50 years in A and 52/325 in B; P = 0.001 (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.16–0.70). In A 136/179 were male and 232/325 in B. 142/179 were Argentinian in A and 289/325 in B; P = 0.003 (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28–0.81). In A 61/179 lived alone and 39/325 in B; P = 0.000 (OR 3.79, 95% CI 0.64–1.37). 41/179 had health insurance in A and 162/325 in B; P = 0.003 (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.28-0.81). A university or tertiary degree was reached in 33/179 in A and 110/325 in B; P = 0.000 (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.28–0.70). Conclusions: We must continue reinforcing need for consistent clinical care in the newly diagnosed HIV patients, especially those who are younger, foreigners and socially excluded

Purpose of the study: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the strategies performed to decrease the loss to follow up in recently diagnosed HIV patients. Method: We reviewed the clinical charts of the recently diagnosed adult (>18 y/o) HIV patients who presented for the first time in our HIV clinic between 1/Jan/2009 and 30/Nov/2010. Among the patients who were newly diagnosed with HIV infection, we identified those who attended our clinic only once. Since January 2009, we implemented new strategies: those patients who were diagnosed with HIV infection were assigned an early appointment with an attending; those patients who did not attend the appointment were called to reassign another appointment; clinic hours were increased, another attending joined the team and the matters the patients had to deal with were reduced. The results obtained with regard to loss to follow up in these patients were compared with previous results, before January 2009, to assess the effectiveness of these measures. Summary of the results: 247 patients attended the clinic for the first time, 43 (17.4%) of them attended the clinic only once. Comparing with the 45-month period before the implementation of these strategies in which 256 patients attend the clinic and 135 (52.7%) attended the clinic only once, loss to follow up was improved (P=0.0000 [OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.12–0.29]). No statistically significant differences were found between both groups regarding age, gender, nationality, employment status, presence of family/partner at home or access to health insurance. Conclusions: Although the small sample size, the implemented measures decreased the lost to follow up in our clinic. This study emphasises the need to continue reinforcing engagement with clinical care in the newly diagnosed HIV patients