Familial support in integrated treatment with antiretroviral therapy and medications for opioid use disorder in Vietnam: A qualitative study.

Background: Patients report that familial support can facilitate initiation and maintenance of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). However, providing such support can create pressure and additional burdens for families of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV. We examined perspectives of people with HIV receiving treatment for OUD in Vietnam and their family members. Methods: Between 2015 and 2018, we conducted face-to-face qualitative interviews with 44 patients and 30 of their family members in Hanoi, Vietnam. Participants were people living with HIV and OUD enrolled in the BRAVO study comparing HIV clinic-based buprenorphine with referral to methadone treatment at 4 HIV clinics and their immediate family members (spouses or parents). Interviews were professionally transcribed, coded in Vietnamese, and analyzed using a semantic, inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Family members of people with OUD and HIV in Vietnam reported financially and emotionally supporting MOUD initiation and maintenance as well as actively participating in treatment. Family members described the burdens of supporting patients during opioid use, including financial costs and secondary stigma. Conclusions: Describing the role of family support in the lives of people living with OUD and HIV in the context of Vietnam enriches our understanding of their experiences and will support future treatment efforts targeting the family unit.

Stigma as a barrier to integrated substance use and HIV care in Vietnam: A qualitative examination of patient and provider perspectives.

Integration of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and HIV care can increase antiretroviral therapy coverage among people with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, implementation of integrated treatment models remains limited. Stigma towards people with OUD poses a barrier to initiation of, and adherence to, HIV treatment. We sought to understand the extent of stigma towards SUD and HIV among people with OUD in Vietnam, and the effect of stigma on integrated OUD and HIV treatment services utilization. Between 2013 and 2015, we conducted in-depth interviews with 43 patients and 43 providers at 7 methadone clinics and 8 HIV clinics across 4 provinces in Vietnam. We used thematic analysis with a mixed deductive and inductive approach at the semantic level to analyze key topics. Two main themes were identified: (1) Confidentiality concerns about HIV status make patients reluctant to receive integrated care at HIV clinics, given the requirements for daily buprenorphine dosing at HIV clinics. (2) Provider stigma existed mostly toward people with OUD and seemed to center on the belief that substance use causes a deterioration in one's morals, and was most frequently manifested in the form of providers' apprehensive approach towards patients. Concerns regarding stigmatization may cause patients to feel reluctant to receive treatment for both OUD and HIV at a single integrated clinic. Interventions to reduce stigma at the clinic and policy levels may thus serve to improve initiation of and adherence to integrated care.

Use of methamphetamine and alcohol among people with opioid use disorder and HIV in Vietnam: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Heroin use continues to drive HIV transmission in Vietnam, but methamphetamine and alcohol use are growing rapidly and, as in other countries, polysubstance use is widespread. The objective of this study was to understand the interplay between heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol use among people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and HIV in Vietnam. METHODS: We conducted 44 in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews with people with OUD and HIV who participated in the BRAVO trial of buprenorphine versus methadone in five Vietnam HIV clinics. Interviews probed participants' experiences of heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol use and their interplay with HIV/OUD treatment. Interviews were professionally transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Of 44 participants interviewed 42 were male, on average 38.8 years of age, with 30 reporting a history of methamphetamine use and 33 reporting a history of alcohol use. Several themes emerged: 1) Methamphetamine and alcohol were perceived to have lower addiction potential than heroin 2) Social settings were key facilitators of alcohol and methamphetamine use 3) Some participants, but not all, used methamphetamine to help quit heroin 4) Consuming alcohol blunted the effects of heroin, while paradoxically serving as a catalyst for heroin use 5) Use of methamphetamine was perceived by many participants to be incompatible with treatment for HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Participant experiences reflected a significant impact of polysubstance use on treatment of HIV and OUD. Patterns of polysubstance use are subject to common preconceptions of alcohol and methamphetamine as having a low addictive potential, and these substances are deeply enmeshed in the social life of many people with OUD in Vietnam. Interventions to address complex social norms and potential harms of polysubstance use are urgently needed as the population of people receiving medication for OUD (MOUD) increases in Vietnam and globally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: BRAVO - NCT01936857 , September 2013.

Critical decisions in the trauma intensive care unit: Are we practicing primary palliative care?

BACKGROUND: Devastating injuries require both urgent assessment by a trauma service and early attention to patients' goals of care (GOC). American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) guidelines recommend an initial palliative assessment within 24 hours of admission and family meeting, if needed, within 72 hours. We hypothesize that a primary palliative care-based practice improves adherence to TQIP guidelines in trauma patients. METHODS: All adult trauma patients who died while inpatient from January 2014 to December 2018 were reviewed. Timing of GOC discussions, transition to comfort measures only (CMO), and the utilization of specialty palliative services were analyzed with univariate analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 415 inpatients died. Median Injury Severity Score was 26 (interquartile range [IQR], 17-34), median age was 67 years (IQR, 51-81 years), and 72% (n = 299) transitioned to CMO before death. Documented GOC discussions increased from 77% of patients in 2014 to 95% of patients in 2018 (p < 0.001), and in 2018, the median time to the first GOC discussion was 15 hours (IQR, 7- 24 hours). Specialty palliative care was consulted in 7% of all patients. Of patients who had at least one GOC discussion, 98% were led by the trauma intensive care unit (TICU) team. Median time from admission to first GOC discussion was 27 hours (IQR, 6-91 hours). Median number of GOC discussions was 1 (IQR, 1-2). Median time to CMO after the final GOC discussion was 0 hours (IQR, 0-3). Median time to death after transition to CMO was 4 hours (IQR, 1-18 hours). CONCLUSION: Of those who died during index admission, we demonstrated significant improvement in adherence to American College of Surgeons TQIP palliative guidelines across the 5-year study period, with the TICU team guiding the majority of GOC discussions. Our TICU team has developed an effective primary palliative care approach, selectively consulting specialty palliative care only when needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, level III.

Provider Perspectives on Integration of Substance Use Disorder and HIV Care in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study.

UNAIDS recommends integration of medications for substance use disorders (SUD) with HIV care to improve HIV outcomes. Yet, integration of HIV and SUD services remains limited in many countries. The objective of this study was to assess provider perceptions of care integration in Vietnam. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 43 providers (nurses, physicians, counselors, pharmacists, and clinic managers) in 8 HIV clinics in northern Vietnam, 2013-2015. Providers identified five themes informing HIV and SUD treatment integration: (1) treatment for alcohol use disorder is often neglected compared to other SUD treatment; (2) structural challenges must be addressed to increase integration feasibility; (3) workforce limitations; (4) societal and healthcare stigmatization of SUD; and (5) providers' conflicting views regarding integration challenges. The experience of providers in Vietnam may be useful to other countries attempting to integrate HIV and SUD services.