Source: Tammie L. Nelson, MPH, CPH, Epidemiology Manager at the Marion County Public Health Department
Published March 9, 2018
The Marion County Public Health Department’s Ryan White HIV Services Program (RWSP) manages Part A, Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI), and Part C funding to address the needs of people living with HIV (PLWH) in central Indiana, including those out of care or historically underserved or uninsured. The program helps out-of-care clients gain access to points of entry; provides a comprehensive HIV continuum of care; and complies with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).[1]
Viral load suppression is the ultimate measure of health for individuals living with HIV. Comparing HIV care outcomes over time or between groups of PLWH requires evaluation of community viral load (CVL) – an average of all viral load results taken from among PLWH in defined populations. Evaluating CVL is important to identify differences in HIV health outcomes among various populations. CVL analysis assists in identifying disparities in HIV care outcomes. The RWSP has undertaken a clinical quality management project to monitor differences in viral load among PLWH in Central Indiana. This project includes viral load analyses of PLWH in the Ryan White Part A transitional grant area (TGA). TGA counties include: Boone, Brown, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, Putnam, and Shelby.
In 2017, 6,050 PLWH resided in the TGA, and health outcomes among these individuals have been improving. The percentage of the TGA’s HIV-positive residents who had suppressed viral loads increased from 50% to 64% during the period 2013-2017. These improved health outcomes were not equitable, however, and it is the goal of this article to identify disparities among PLWH in Central Indiana, arming both medical and supportive care providers with this knowledge so that resources can be focused to serve those who need help the most.
Continue reading Disparities in HIV Viral Suppression in Central Indiana →
