Cohort profile: the German ClinSurv HIV project--a multicentre open clinical cohort study supplementing national HIV surveillance.
HIV Med
; 12(5): 269-78, 2011 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-20955355
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
New forms of HIV/AIDS therapy require new surveillance instruments to meet shifting public health demands. The Clinical Surveillance of HIV Disease (ClinSurv HIV) project was established in 1999 as a collaboration between major HIV treatment centres in Germany and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The project contributes to national HIV surveillance and focuses on the changing epidemiology of HIV/AIDS after the introduction of new therapies in 1995.METHODS:
ClinSurv HIV is designed as an open multicentre observational cohort study of HIV-infected patients. Anonymized data on diagnoses, treatment and laboratory parameters are collected in a standardized format. Data are currently sampled biannually via 11 centres specializing in HIV diagnosis and care within the legal framework of the German Protection against Infection Act [Infektionsschutzgesetz (IfSG)].RESULTS:
A total of 14874 patients were enrolled in the study by 30 June 2009. Of these, 10221 patients (68.7%) were enrolled after 1 January 1999 and 6006 patients (40.4%) were known to have been diagnosed as positive for HIV before 1999. Evaluation indicators, such as the number of newly enrolled patients per half-year period, loss to follow-up, completeness of data per case, availability of data per possible clinical contact, and internal quality control parameters, show a very stable evolution in the cohort, which although open, can be observed. Comparison with the national HIV surveillance data suggests a high degree of representativeness according to major demographic variables.CONCLUSION:
Bearing in mind the obvious strengths and weaknesses discussed, the German ClinSurv HIV cohort provides a broad range of research opportunities in the field of HIV/AIDS both within Germany and in international collaborative research.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
HIV Infections
/
HIV-1
/
Anti-HIV Agents
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
HIV Med
Journal subject:
SINDROME DA IMUNODEFICIENCIA ADQUIRIDA (AIDS)
Year:
2011
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Germany