Supporting Quality Data Systems: Lessons Learned from Early Implementation of Routine Viral Load Monitoring at a Large Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi

Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Research in HIV AIDS and Prevention - Year 2017, Vol 3, Issue 1

Abstract

Successful viral load programs rely on the presence of data systems and high quality of patient data. Using a cohort of 49 patients at Partners in Hope, a large, urban HIV clinic in Malawi, we performed a quality improvement assessment of a new viral load program with a focus on accuracy of data collected from patients as well as adherence to Malawi HIV Guidelines in regard to response to elevated viral loads (≥1,000 copies/mL). Data were obtained from three parallel medical record systems to investigate the proportion of patients with a repeat viral load and whether the three data systems agreed in regard to sociodemographic and clinical data. Fewer than 30% of patients had a repeat viral load within six months, as recommended in the Malawi HIV Guidelines. There were significant problems with data agreement across the three parallel databases used for care. Date of birth was consistent for 55.1% (N=27) of patients, while a different date of birth was noted in all three sources for 10.2% of patients (N=5). Viral load data from all three sources agreed for only 2.0% of patients (N=1). For 65.3% (N=32), the viral load from the laboratory did not match the recorded viral load in the electronic or paper record. Scale-up of viral load monitoring must be accompanied by the development of data systems that support workflow from sample collection to lab and back to provider. Education of providers and strategies for data collection with minimal errors can facilitate scale-up of high quality programs.

Authors and Affiliations

Jean Gibb, Jimmy Chitsulo, Chifundo Chipungu, Mackenzie Chivwara, Alan Schooley, Risa M. Hoffman

Keywords

Related Articles

Clinical and Immunological Beneficial Effects of Phyto V7 Consumption by HIV-1 Seropositive Individuals

Phytochemicals (PHT) are a large group of biologically active plant chemicals that may have positive effects on human health such as immune system stimulation, down regulation of inflammatory responses, radical scavengin...

Update and Expansion of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Archive (HAPPA)

Established in 1996 with funding from CDC and NIH, the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Archive (HAPPA) is now the biggest private sector collection of HIV-related evidence-based behavioral interventions (EBIs). Each EBI in H...

Partner Violence and Condom Use in HIV-Discordant Heterosexual Partnerships

This paper examines the association between intimate partner violence and the consistency of condom use in a US urban cohort of HIV-serodiscordant couples. It uses both male and female data from the California Partners S...

Correlation of Cryptococcal Antigen Assay with C-reactive Protein as Serum and Urine Biomarker in Cryptococcal Meningitis: Experience in a Tertiary Hospital

Aims and Objectives: The incidence of cryptococcal meningitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans has risen markedly over the past 20 years as a result of theHIV epidemic and increasing use of immunosuppressive therapies....

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP263117
  • DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-17-1468
  • Views 128
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Jean Gibb, Jimmy Chitsulo, Chifundo Chipungu, Mackenzie Chivwara, Alan Schooley, Risa M. Hoffman (2017). Supporting Quality Data Systems: Lessons Learned from Early Implementation of Routine Viral Load Monitoring at a Large Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi. Journal of Clinical Research in HIV AIDS and Prevention, 3(1), 1-7. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-263117