Findings from this analysis support earlier work demonstrating significant supportive care needs in cancer patients. However, it challenges the assumption that screening will result in increased uptake of supportive care services beyond initial assessment. Further work should focus on facilitating engagement and reducing barriers for patients with continuing post-assessment supportive care needs.

BackgroundWashington, DC, has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the United States. Sexual intercourse is the leading mode of HIV transmission, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a risk factor for HIV acquisition and transmission.MethodsWe evaluated the incidence and demographic factors associated with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis among HIV-infected persons enrolled at 13 DC Cohort sites from 2011 to 2015. Using Poisson regression, we assessed covariates of risk for incident STIs. We also examined HIV viral loads (VLs) at the time of STI diagnosis as a proxy for HIV transmission risk.ResultsSix point seven percent (451/6672) developed an incident STI during a median follow-up of 32.5 months (4% chlamydia, 3% gonorrhea, 2% syphilis); 30% of participants had 2 or more STI episodes. The incidence rate of any STIs was 3.8 cases per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.5–4.1); age 18–34 years, 10.8 (95% CI, 9.7–12.0); transgender women, 9.9 (95% CI, 6.9–14.0); Hispanics, 9.2 (95% CI, 7.2–11.8); and men who have sex with men (MSM), 7.7 (95% CI, 7.1–8.4). Multivariate Poisson regression showed younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, MSM risk, and higher nadir CD4 counts to be strongly associated with STIs. Among those with an STI, 41.8% had a detectable VL within 1 month of STI diagnosis, and 14.6% had a VL ≥1500 copies/mL.ConclusionsSTIs are highly prevalent among HIV-infected persons receiving care in DC. HIV transmission risk is considerable at the time of STI diagnosis. Interventions toward risk reduction, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and HIV virologic suppression are critical at the time of STI evaluation.

While cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is an effective evidence-based treatment for many veterans with military-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), not all veterans experience therapeutic benefit. To account for the discrepancy in outcomes, researchers have investigated patient- and research design-related factors; however, therapist factors (e.g. fidelity) have received less attention. The present study is a preliminary examination of the effect of psychotherapists' fidelity during CPT on clinical outcomes during a randomized clinical trial (RCT) for military sexual trauma-related PTSD. PTSD symptoms, trauma-related negative cognitions (NCs), and depression symptoms were assessed for 72 participants at baseline, and 1-week, 2-month, 4-month, and 6-month posttreatment. Of the four CPT therapists, two were found to have significantly poorer (i.e. "below average") treatment fidelity scores compared to the other two therapists who had "good" treatment fidelity scores. To examine possible therapist effects on outcomes, hierarchical linear modeling was utilized with therapist fidelity entered as a Level 2 predictor. Participants treated by a therapist with "good" treatment fidelity experienced significantly greater reductions in PTSD symptoms, NCs, and depression symptoms than patients treated by a therapist with "below average" treatment fidelity. Our preliminary findings highlight the importance of monitoring, maintaining, and reporting fidelity in psychotherapy treatment RCTs.