Senior Resident as Junior Supervisor: Case Report of an Apprenticeship Model for Training Psychotherapy Supervisors.

Psychotherapy supervision is an essential component of graduate medical education in psychiatry. However, most psychotherapy supervisors have never had training specific to supervision, and the requisite skills have received little attention in the literature. The authors of this article describe the first year of a pilot project that was aimed at fostering interest and skill in psychotherapy supervision among senior residents. In this model, a postgraduate year (PGY)-4 resident supervised a PGY-2 resident's psychodynamic psychotherapy while receiving supervisory support from a senior faculty member. Feedback from the two residents and the residency program director was positive. The PGY-2 resident reported benefiting from near-peer supervision. The PGY-4 resident continued to supervise residents after graduation and felt well prepared to assume that role. The residency program continued to use this model after the pilot period. Other training programs can replicate this model to nurture the next generation of psychotherapy supervisors.

The value of confirmatory testing in early infant HIV diagnosis programmes in South Africa: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: The specificity of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) used for early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV infection is <100%, leading some HIV-uninfected infants to be incorrectly identified as HIV-infected. The World Health Organization recommends that infants undergo a second NAAT to confirm any positive test result, but implementation is limited. Our objective was to determine the impact and cost-effectiveness of confirmatory HIV testing for EID programmes in South Africa. METHOD AND FINDINGS: Using the Cost-effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC)-Pediatric model, we simulated EID testing at age 6 weeks for HIV-exposed infants without and with confirmatory testing. We assumed a NAAT cost of US$25, NAAT specificity of 99.6%, NAAT sensitivity of 100% for infants infected in pregnancy or at least 4 weeks prior to testing, and a mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rate at 12 months of 4.9%; we simulated guideline-concordant rates of testing uptake, result return, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation (100%). After diagnosis, infants were linked to and retained in care for 10 years (false-positive) or lifelong (true-positive). All parameters were varied widely in sensitivity analyses. Outcomes included number of infants with false-positive diagnoses linked to ART per 1,000 ART initiations, life expectancy (LE, in years) and per-person lifetime HIV-related healthcare costs. Both without and with confirmatory testing, LE was 26.2 years for HIV-infected infants and 61.4 years for all HIV-exposed infants; clinical outcomes for truly infected infants did not differ by strategy. Without confirmatory testing, 128/1,000 ART initiations were false-positive diagnoses; with confirmatory testing, 1/1,000 ART initiations were false-positive diagnoses. Because confirmatory testing averted costly HIV care and ART in truly HIV-uninfected infants, it was cost-saving: total cost US$1,790/infant tested, compared to US$1,830/infant tested without confirmatory testing. Confirmatory testing remained cost-saving unless NAAT cost exceeded US$400 or the HIV-uninfected status of infants incorrectly identified as infected was ascertained and ART stopped within 3 months of starting. Limitations include uncertainty in the data used in the model, which we examined with sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. We also excluded clinical harms to HIV-uninfected infants incorrectly treated with ART after false-positive diagnosis (e.g., medication toxicities); including these outcomes would further increase the value of confirmatory testing. CONCLUSIONS: Without confirmatory testing, in settings with MTCT rates similar to that of South Africa, more than 10% of infants who initiate ART may reflect false-positive diagnoses. Confirmatory testing prevents inappropriate HIV diagnosis, is cost-saving, and should be adopted in all EID programmes.

Clinical Impact and Cost-effectiveness of Diagnosing HIV Infection During Early Infancy in South Africa: Test Timing and Frequency.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection during early infancy (commonly known as "early infant HIV diagnosis" [EID]) followed by prompt initiation of antiretroviral therapy dramatically reduces mortality. EID testing is recommended at 6 weeks of age, but many infant infections are missed. DESIGN/METHODS: We simulated 4 EID testing strategies for HIV-exposed infants in South Africa: no EID (diagnosis only after illness; hereafter, "no EID"), testing once (at birth alone or at 6 weeks of age alone; hereafter, "birth alone" and "6 weeks alone," respectively), and testing twice (at birth and 6 weeks of age; hereafter "birth and 6 weeks"). We calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), using discounted costs and life expectancies for all HIV-exposed (infected and uninfected) infants. RESULTS: In the base case (guideline-concordant care), the no EID strategy produced a life expectancy of 21.1 years (in the HIV-infected group) and 61.1 years (in the HIV-exposed group); lifetime cost averaged $1430/HIV-exposed infant. The birth and 6 weeks strategy maximized life expectancy (26.5 years in the HIV-infected group and 61.4 years in the HIV-exposed group), costing $1840/infant tested. The ICER of the 6 weeks alone strategy versus the no EID strategy was $1250/year of life saved (19% of South Africa's per capita gross domestic product); the ICER for the birth and 6 weeks strategy versus the 6 weeks alone strategy was $2900/year of life saved (45% of South Africa's per capita gross domestic product). Increasing the proportion of caregivers who receive test results and the linkage of HIV-positive infants to antiretroviral therapy with the 6 weeks alone strategy improved survival more than adding a second test. CONCLUSIONS: EID at birth and 6 weeks improves outcomes and is cost-effective, compared with EID at 6 weeks alone. If scale-up costs are comparable, programs should add birth testing after strengthening 6-week testing programs.

Laboratory Monitoring of Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infection: Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Impact of Current and Novel Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Optimal laboratory monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains controversial. We evaluated current and novel monitoring strategies in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. METHODS: We used the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications -International model to compare clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact of 11 ART monitoring strategies varying by type (CD4 and/or viral load [VL]) and frequency. We included "adaptive" strategies (biannual then annual monitoring for patients on ART/suppressed). Mean CD4 count at ART initiation was 154/µL. Laboratory test costs were CD4=$11 and VL=$33. The standard of care (SOC; biannual CD4) was the comparator. We assessed cost-effectiveness relative to Côte d'Ivoire's 2013 per capita GDP ($1500). RESULTS: Discounted life expectancy was 16.69 years for SOC, 16.97 years with VL confirmation of immunologic failure, and 17.25 years for adaptive VL. Mean time on failed first-line ART was 3.7 years for SOC and <0.9 years for all routine/adaptive VL strategies. VL failure confirmation was cost-saving compared with SOC. Adaptive VL had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $4100/year of life saved compared with VL confirmation and increased the 5-year budget by $310/patient compared with SOC. Adaptive VL achieved an ICER <1× GDP if second-line ART and VL costs simultaneously decreased to $156 and $13, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: VL confirmation of immunologic failure is more effective and less costly than CD4 monitoring in Côte d'Ivoire. Adaptive VL monitoring reduces time on failing ART, is cost-effective, and should become standard in Côte d'Ivoire and similar settings.

Trends in suicidal ideation in an emergency department during COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to detail changes in presentations at a United States Emergency Department for suicidality before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all adult patients who presented to an ED with suicidality and underwent psychiatric consultation during the study period. The cohorts consisted of patients who presented between December 2018 - May 2019 and December 2019 - May 2020. Information was collected on demographics, characteristics of suicidality, reasons for suicidality and disposition. The first wave from March - May 2020 was examined, using a difference-in-differences design to control for factors other than COVID-19 that may have influenced the outcomes' trend. RESULTS: Immediately following the pandemic outbreak there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of undomiciled patients represented in visits for suicidality (40.7% vs. 57.4%; p-value <0.001). In addition, the proportion of patient visits attributed to social (18.0% vs. 29.2%; p-value 0.003) and structural (14.2% vs. 26.4%; p value <0.001) reasons for suicidality increased. Conversely, the proportion of visits due to psychiatric symptoms (70.5% vs 50.0%; p-value <0.001) decreased. Furthermore, patient visits were more likely to result in a medical admission (2.1% vs. 8.3%; p-value 0.002) and less likely to result in a psychiatric admission (68.4% vs 48.6%; p-value <0.001) during the initial phase of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was associated with increased ED presentations for suicidality among undomiciled patients, as well as greater likelihood of social and structural reasons driving suicidality among all visits.

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact of immediate antiretroviral therapy initiation for treatment of HIV infection in Côte d'Ivoire: A model-based analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The Temprano and START trials provided evidence to support early ART initiation recommendations. We projected long-term clinical and economic outcomes of immediate ART initiation in Côte d'Ivoire. METHODS: We used a mathematical model to compare three potential ART initiation criteria: 1) CD4 <350/µL (ART<350/µL); 2) CD4 <500/µL (ART<500/µL); and 3) ART at presentation (Immediate ART). Outcomes from the model included life expectancy, 10-year medical resource use, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) in $/year of life saved (YLS), and 5-year budget impact. We simulated people with HIV (PWH) in care (mean CD4: 259/µL, SD 198/µL) and transmitted cases. Key input parameters to the analysis included first-line ART efficacy (80% suppression at 6 months) and ART cost ($90/person-year). We assessed cost-effectiveness relative to Côte d'Ivoire's 2017 per capita annual gross domestic product ($1,600). RESULTS: Immediate ART increased life expectancy by 0.34 years compared to ART<350/µL and 0.17 years compared to ART<500/µL. Immediate ART resulted in 4,500 fewer 10-year transmissions per 170,000 PWH compared to ART<350/µL. In cost-effectiveness analysis, Immediate ART had a 10-year ICER of $680/YLS compared to ART<350/µL, ranging from cost-saving to an ICER of $1,440/YLS as transmission rates varied. ART<500/µL was "dominated" (an inefficient use of resources), compared with Immediate ART. Immediate ART increased the 5-year HIV care budget from $801.9M to $812.6M compared to ART<350/µL. CONCLUSIONS: In Côte d'Ivoire, immediate compared to later ART initiation will increase life expectancy, decrease HIV transmission, and be cost-effective over the long-term, with modest budget impact. Immediate ART initiation is an appropriate, high-value standard of care in Côte d'Ivoire and similar settings.

Optimal breastfeeding durations for HIV-exposed infants: the impact of maternal ART use, infant mortality and replacement feeding risk.

INTRODUCTION: In 2010, the WHO recommended women living with HIV breastfeed for 12 months while taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) to balance breastfeeding benefits against HIV transmission risks. To inform the 2016 WHO guidelines, we updated prior research on the impact of breastfeeding duration on HIV-free infant survival (HFS) by incorporating maternal ART duration, infant/child mortality and mother-to-child transmission data. METHODS: Using the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC)-Infant model, we simulated the impact of breastfeeding duration on 24-month HFS among HIV-exposed, uninfected infants. We defined "optimal" breastfeeding durations as those maximizing 24-month HFS. We varied maternal ART duration, mortality rates among breastfed infants/children, and relative risk of mortality associated with replacement feeding ("RRRF"), modelled as a multiplier on all-cause mortality for replacement-fed infants/children (range: 1 [no additional risk] to 6). The base-case simulated RRRF = 3, median infant mortality, and 24-month maternal ART duration. RESULTS: In the base-case, HFS ranged from 83.1% (no breastfeeding) to 90.2% (12-months breastfeeding). Optimal breastfeeding durations increased with higher RRRF values and longer maternal ART durations, but did not change substantially with variation in infant mortality rates. Optimal breastfeeding durations often exceeded the previous WHO recommendation of 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In settings with high RRRF and long maternal ART durations, HFS is maximized when mothers breastfeed longer than the previously-recommended 12 months. In settings with low RRRF or short maternal ART durations, shorter breastfeeding durations optimize HFS. If mothers are supported to use ART for longer periods of time, it is possible to reduce transmission risks and gain the benefits of longer breastfeeding durations.

The cost-effectiveness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in men who have sex with men and transgender women at high risk of HIV infection in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) in Brazil experience high rates of HIV infection. We examined the clinical and economic outcomes of implementing a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programme in these populations. METHODS: We used the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC)-International model of HIV prevention and treatment to evaluate two strategies: the current standard of care (SOC) in Brazil, including universal ART access (No PrEP strategy); and the current SOC plus daily tenofovir/emtracitabine PrEP (PrEP strategy) until age 50. Mean age (31 years, SD 8.4 years), age-stratified annual HIV incidence (age ≤ 40 years: 4.3/100 PY; age > 40 years: 1.0/100 PY), PrEP effectiveness (43% HIV incidence reduction) and PrEP drug costs ($23/month) were from Brazil-based sources. The analysis focused on direct medical costs of HIV care. We measured the comparative value of PrEP in 2015 United States dollars (USD) per year of life saved (YLS). Willingness-to-pay threshold was based on Brazil's annual per capita gross domestic product (GDP; 2015: $8540 USD). RESULTS: Lifetime HIV infection risk among high-risk MSM and TGW was 50.5% with No PrEP and decreased to 40.1% with PrEP. PrEP increased per-person undiscounted (discounted) life expectancy from 36.8 (20.7) years to 41.0 (22.4) years and lifetime discounted HIV-related medical costs from $4100 to $8420, which led to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $2530/YLS. PrEP remained cost-effective (<1x GDP) under plausible variation in key parameters, including PrEP effectiveness and cost, initial cohort age and HIV testing frequency on/off PrEP. CONCLUSION: Daily tenofovir/emtracitabine PrEP among MSM and TGW at high risk of HIV infection in Brazil would increase life expectancy and be highly cost-effective.

Survival benefits of antiretroviral therapy in Brazil: a model-based analysis.

OBJECTIVE: In Brazil, universal provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been guaranteed free of charge to eligible HIV-positive patients since December 1996. We sought to quantify the survival benefits of ART attributable to this programme. METHODS: We used a previously published microsimulation model of HIV disease and treatment (CEPAC-International) and data from Brazil to estimate life expectancy increase for HIV-positive patients initiating ART in Brazil. We divided the period of 1997 to 2014 into six eras reflecting increased drug regimen efficacy, regimen availability and era-specific mean CD4 count at ART initiation. Patients were simulated first without ART and then with ART. The 2014-censored and lifetime survival benefits attributable to ART in each era were calculated as the product of the number of patients initiating ART in a given era and the increase in life expectancy attributable to ART in that era. RESULTS: In total, we estimated that 598,741 individuals initiated ART. Projected life expectancy increased from 2.7, 3.3, 4.1, 4.9, 5.5 and 7.1 years without ART to 11.0, 17.5, 20.7, 23.0, 25.3, and 27.0 years with ART in Eras 1 through 6, respectively. Of the total projected lifetime survival benefit of 9.3 million life-years, 16% (or 1.5 million life-years) has been realized as of December 2014. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of ART through a national programme has led to dramatic survival benefits in Brazil, the majority of which are still to be realized. Improvements in initial and subsequent ART regimens and higher CD4 counts at ART initiation have contributed to these increasing benefits.