Patient and provider perspectives on cellular phone-based technology to improve HIV treatment adherence.

Innovative techniques, potentially using technology, to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) may help patients with HIV who struggle with self-care. This qualitative study compared patient and provider participants' perspectives on ART adherence and text messaging as a tool to promote adherence. Thirteen providers and 14 HIV-infected patients identified four main themes: (1) facilitators, (2) barriers to using text message reminders as a medium for ART medication reminders, (3) framing of text message reminders, and (4) patient responsibility and autonomy in the management of their health and wellness. Ease of use, access, convenience, and confidentiality were cited as benefits of a text message-based adherence intervention; while access, cost, difficulty manipulating cellular phones, lack of knowledge/education, and confidentiality were cited as potential barriers. Providers, but not patients, also identified patient apathy and time burden as potential barriers to a text message-based adherence reminder system. Patients and providers felt that personalization of messages, attention to timing, and confidentiality of messages were key factors for a successful text message-based adherence reminder system. Both providers and patients felt that patient responsibility and autonomy over an individual's own health care is an important issue in adherence to medical care. The majority of patients and providers felt that a text message-based adherence reminder system would be beneficial. While patients and providers had many similar views on factors influencing adherence with ART and the use of text messaging to improve adherence, there were some divergent views between the two groups.

Risk factors for abnormal anal cytology over time in HIV-infected women.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the incidence of, and risk factors for, abnormal anal cytology and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) 2-3 in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective study assessed 100 HIV-infected women with anal and cervical specimens for cytology and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing over 3 semiannual visits. RESULTS: Thirty-three women were diagnosed with an anal cytologic abnormality at least once. Anal cytology abnormality was associated with current CD4 count less than 200 cells/mm(3), anal HPV infection, and a history of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Twelve subjects were diagnosed with AIN2-3: 4 after AIN1 diagnosis and 4 after 1 or more negative anal cytology. AIN2-3 trended toward an association with history of cervical cytologic abnormality and history of STI. CONCLUSION: Repeated annual anal cytology screening for HIV-infected women, particularly for those with increased immunosuppression, anal and/or cervical HPV, a history of other STIs, or abnormal cervical cytology, will increase the likelihood of detecting AIN2-3.

Abnormal anal cytology in HIV-infected women.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for abnormal anal cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in women who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted an observational single center study of 100 HIV-infected women with cervical and anal specimens that were obtained for cytologic and high-risk HPV testing with Hybrid Capture 2. RESULTS: Seventeen women had abnormal anal cytology; 16 women had anal HPV; 21 women had abnormal cervical cytology, and 24 women had cervical HPV. Abnormal anal cytology was associated with cervical HPV infection, abnormal cervical cytology, and anal HPV infection in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, abnormal anal cytology was associated with a CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3), a history of sexually transmitted disease, and concurrent cervical cytologic abnormality. CONCLUSION: HIV-infected women are at high risk for abnormal cytology and HPV infections of both the anus and cervix. Risk factors for abnormal anal cytology include abnormal cervical cytology, cervical and anal HPV infections, and low CD4 count.

Human papillomavirus-related diseases in HIV-infected individuals.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To present recent publications in human papillomavirus-associated diseases and their relationship to HIV-infected patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Studies assessing geographic variations in human papillomavirus types and prevalence in cervical dysplasia and cancer in HIV-infected women suggest that although human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 dominate, multiple other human papillomavirus types may play a role in carcinogenesis. Anal dysplasia and cancer incidence continues to rise in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era; however, data on outcomes following therapy for anal dysplasia (infrared coagulator, high-resolution anoscopy-guided ablation) and anal cancer (chemoradiation and possibly intensity-modulated radiation therapy) have been encouraging. Oral human papillomavirus may be associated with lower genital tract human papillomavirus infection and may have implications in the development of oropharyngeal cancer. SUMMARY: As HIV-infected patients in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era continue to have high rates of cervical and anal cancer, it is important to continue screening efforts and treatment of preinvasive disease. Treatment options for anal dysplasia and anal cancer in HIV-infected individuals are expanding and may lead to decreased morbidity and mortality. Trials assessing safety and immunogenicity of the human papillomavirus quadrivalent vaccine in people with HIV have started enrollment, and if successful, may prevent many human papillomavirus-associated cancers.

Factors Associated with Adherence to Routine Screening Mammography in HIV-Infected Women.

BACKGROUND: Both HIV-infected women and minority women have historically lower rates of screening mammography. The objective of this study was to identify factors related to adherence to routine screening mammography in a diverse inner-city cohort of HIV-infected women, to inform future work on targeted interventions to address disparities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study reviewed the electronic medical record of HIV-infected women aged 40 and older engaged in care between October 1, 2003 and March 31, 2008 at a large urban safety-net HIV clinic. Analyses included chi square testing and multivariate logistic regression to assess for patient-specific factors associated with adherence to breast cancer screening, defined as obtaining a screening mammogram within 2 years of engaging in care. RESULTS: The 292 women were a racially diverse group, with 70% black, 11% Hispanic, and 42% foreign born. There was suboptimal HIV control, with only 33% having an undetectable viral load (VL). One hundred forty-six (50%) were adherent to screening mammography. In multivariate analysis, women who were foreign born (OR 2.65 [CI 1.52-4.64]) had not completed high school (OR 1.77 [CI 1.06-2.95]) or had an undetectable VL (OR 2.51 [CI 1.44-4.40]) had increased odds of obtaining a mammogram. CONCLUSIONS: Among a racially diverse urban population of HIV-infected women engaged in care, only half had a mammogram. Foreign-born women had higher odds of undergoing mammography, suggesting that nativity status and social determinants of health are under-recognized drivers of adherence in this population. Future programs targeting screening must be mindful of the multiple predictors of adherence.

Clinical Liver Disease Progression Among Hepatitis C-Infected Drug Users With CD4 Cell Count Less Than 200 Cells/mm(3) Is More Pronounced Among Women Than Men.

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in the United States, and injection drug users are at particularly high risk. Methods. This prospective observational cohort study assessed the rate of, and risk factors for, clinical liver disease progression in a cohort of HCV monoinfected and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV coinfected drug users using unadjusted and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Results. Of 564 subjects including 421 (75%) with HIV/HCV coinfection and 143 with HCV monoinfection, 55 (10%) had clinical liver disease progression during follow-up with a rate of 25.3 events per 1000 person-years. In unadjusted analysis, there was an interaction between sex and HIV status. In sex-stratified multivariate analysis, HIV/HCV-coinfected women with CD4 <200 cells/mm(3) had 9.99 times the risk of liver disease progression as HCV-monoinfected women (confidence interval [CI], 1.84-54.31; P = .008), and white women had a trend towards increased risk of liver disease progression compared with non-white women (hazard ratio, 2.84; CI, .93-8.68; P = .07). Human immunodeficiency virus/HCV-coinfected men with CD4 <200 cells/mm(3) had 2.86 times the risk of liver disease progression as HCV-monoinfected men (CI, 1.23-6.65; P = .01). Conclusions. Hepatitis C virus-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected drug users had high rates of clinical liver disease progression. In those with HIV infection, liver disease progression was associated with advanced immune suppression. This effect was strikingly more pronounced in women than in men.

Beliefs About Anal Cancer among HIV-Infected Women: Barriers and Motivators to Participation in Research.

BACKGROUND: Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains associated with a greater risk of anal cancer, despite widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy. Evidence concerning the acceptability of anal cancer screening gives little attention to women. Because HIV-infected women have a high prevalence of depression and history of sexual trauma, understanding acceptability among this group is critical. PURPOSE: We sought to assess barriers and motivators to participation in anal cancer screening research among a racial/ethnically diverse HIV-infected female population. METHODS: We conducted a survey based on the Health Belief Model to identify characteristics of women willing to participate in anal cancer screening research (n = 200). Bivariate analyses examined associations between willingness to participate and sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and health beliefs. Logistic regression modeled willingness to participate in research. MAIN FINDINGS: Of the women who participated, 37% screened positive for depression, 43% reported a high trauma history, and 36% screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder. Overall, 65% reported willingness to participate in research. Those likely to participate were older, reported intravenous drug use as their HIV risk factor, and had a history of prior high-resolution anoscopy (HRA) compared with those unwilling to participate. The most commonly reported barrier to anal Pap testing was fear of pain. In adjusted analyses, a lack of fear of pain and prior experience with HRA significantly predicted willingness to participate. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that, to increase participation in anal Pap and HRA-related research for HIV-infected women, a single approach may not be adequate. Rather, we must harness patients' previous experiences and address psychosocial and financial concerns to overcome barriers to participation.

Relationship between poor physical function, inflammatory markers, and comorbidities in HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: HIV-infected individuals may be at increased risk of poor physical function. Chronic inflammation has been associated with decreased physical function in the elderly and may also influence physical function in HIV-infected individuals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed physical function in 65 HIV-infected women aged 40 and older on stable antiretroviral treatment using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB): a standardized test of balance, walking speed, and lower- extremity strength developed for elderly populations. The relationship between low SPPB score, selected demographic and medical characteristics, and high inflammatory biomarker profile was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS: The median age of subjects was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR] 45-55), and the median CD4 T-cell count was 675 cells/mm(3) (IQR 436-828). Thirteen subjects (20%) had a low SPPB score. Subjects with a low SPPB score were more likely to be cigarette smokers (p=0.03), had more medical comorbidities (p=0.01), and had higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p<0.05). They also tended to be older (median age 55 vs. 48, p=0.06), more likely to have diabetes (p=0.07), and have higher levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor-1 (p=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty percent of women aged 40 and older with well-treated HIV had poor physical-function performance, which was associated with the high burden of comorbidities in this population and with increased IL-6. However, it is unclear from this cross-sectional study whether increased inflammation was related to poor physical function or to other factors, such as age and medical comorbidities.

Factors associated with time to colposcopy after abnormal Pap testing in HIV-infected women.

BACKGROUND: HIV-infected women are at increased risk for cervical dysplasia and require timely follow-up after an abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) test. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study assessed the proportion of HIV-infected women with colposcopic evaluation after an abnormal Pap test. Time to colposcopy within 12 months after an abnormal Pap test was assessed with univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard modeling in a diverse cohort of HIV-infected women between October 1, 2003, and September 30, 2007. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-seven subjects had an abnormal Pap test: 22 high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL; 12%), 120 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL; 68%), and 35 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, human papillomavirus positive (20%). One hundred twenty (68%) had follow-up colposcopy by 1 year. Decreased time to follow-up was associated with being married (HR 3.5, 95% CI 1.9-6.2), high school graduate or higher education level (HR 1.7, CI 1.2-2.6), HSIL Pap results (HR 2.8, CI 1.3-6.2), Pap testing performed by HIV nurse practitioner versus gynecology clinic (HR 1.7, 1.1-2.7), and CD4 count ≥500 cells/mm(3) (HR 1.8, CI 1.2-2.8), after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and LSIL Pap result. Private insurance was associated with decreased time to colposcopy in unadjusted, but not multivariate analysis. Drug use was not associated with time to follow-up colposcopy. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one third of HIV-infected women did not have a follow-up colposcopy by 12 months after an abnormal Pap test. Since HIV-infected women are at particularly high risk for cervical cancer, these results are unacceptably poor. Identification of the barriers to appropriate follow-up and targeted interventions are necessary to improve timely follow-up for cytologic abnormalities in this high-risk population.

Risk factors for nonadherence with Pap testing in HIV-infected women.

BACKGROUND: HIV-infected women are at increased risk for cervical cancer; thus, adherence with Papanicolaou (Pap) testing is of particular importance. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for inadequate Pap testing in a diverse cohort of HIV-infected women at a large urban safety net HIV clinic. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study assessed HIV-infected women aged 18?60 years in care between October 1, 2003, and March 31, 2008, for risk factors for inadequate Pap testing. Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) with confidence intervals (CI) and multivariate analyses with generalized estimating equations for correlated data were calculated. RESULTS: Of 549 women, 293 (53.4%) had a Pap test during each follow-up period. Women who were older, white or Hispanic race/ethnicity, U.S. born, unemployed, drug users, and those with advanced HIV had increased odds of no Pap testing in unadjusted analyses. In multivariate analyses, U.S.-born women who were white or unemployed or had a baseline CD4 count <200 cells/mm(3) had increased odds of no Pap testing (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.1; OR 2.3, CI 1.0-5.0; OR 1.7, CI 1.0-2.9, respectively). For non-U.S.-born women, age ?50 years (OR 3.9, CI 1.7-9.0), non-English-speaking status (OR 1.6, CI 1.0-2.4), and drug use (OR 5.8, CI 2.5-13.9) were associated with no Pap testing. CONCLUSIONS: U.S.-born status and low CD4 count were associated with increased odds of inadequate Pap testing. Further study is needed to identify interventions to improve Pap testing adherence in this high-risk group.

Impact of a standardized protocol and antibiotic-impregnated catheters on ventriculostomy infection rates in cerebrovascular patients.

BACKGROUND: Ventriculostomy infections create significant morbidity. To reduce infection rates, a standardized evidence-based catheter insertion protocol was implemented. A prospective observational study analyzed the effects of this protocol alone and with antibiotic-impregnated ventriculostomy catheters. OBJECTIVE: To compare infection rates after implementing a standardized protocol for ventriculostomy catheter insertion with and without the use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2008, 1961 ventriculostomies and infections were documented. A ventriculostomy infection was defined as 2 positive CSF cultures from ventriculostomy catheters with a concurrent increase in cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count. A baseline (preprotocol) infection rate was established (period 1). Infection rates were monitored after adoption of the standardized protocol (period 2), institution of antibiotic-impregnated catheter A (period 3), discontinuation of antibiotic-impregnated catheter A (period 4), and institution of antibiotic-impregnated catheter B (period 5). RESULTS: The baseline infection rate (period 1) was 6.7% (22/327 devices). Standardized protocol (period 2) implementation did not change the infection rate (8.2%; 23/281 devices). Introduction of catheter A (period 3) reduced infections to 1.0% (2/195 devices, P=.0005). Because of technical difficulties, this catheter was discontinued (period 4), resulting in an increase in infection rate (7.6%; 12/157 devices). Catheter B (period 5) significantly decreased infections to 0.9% (9 of 1001 devices, P=.0001). The Staphylococcus infection rate for periods 1, 2, and 4 was 6.1% (47/765) compared with 0.2% (1/577) during use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters (periods 3 and 5). CONCLUSION: The use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters resulted in a significant reduction of ventriculostomy infections and is recommended in the adult neurosurgical population.