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Abstract #154743

Nandini V. Pillai, BA¹, Sandra Kupprat, BA, MS, MA¹, D. Pulane Lucas, BS, MBA, MA¹, and Perry N. Halkitis, PhD². (1) New York University, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies (CHIBPS), 726 Broadway, Suite 525, New York, NY 10003, 201 207 8933, nandini.pillai@gmail.com, (2) Director, Center for Health, Identity, Behavior, and Prevention Studies (CHIBPS), New York University, 82 Washington Square East, Pless Building 553, New York, NY 10003

Background: Increasingly, low-income women are contracting HIV. While improvements in treatment have increased the quality and longevity of life, many women face barriers to quality medical care. As part of a large-scale evaluation study of supportive services for HIV-positive women in NYC, we considered access to quality medical care in relation to supportive and case management service programs. Methods: This study interviewed 60 HIV-positive women who received supportive and case management services at NYC AIDS service organizations based on either medical or non-medical models. AudioCASI software on laptops facilitated data collection for the cross-sectional interviews. Access to quality medical care was measured by self-reported questions on affordability of care, access to medical specialists, access to medical personnel, consistency of medical personnel, waiting time and coordination of care between case managers and healthcare professionals. Results: No significant difference was found between clients' access to medical care by service delivery model with the exception of access to medical specialists. Those clients who access supportive and case management services at medically linked institutions perceive lower access to specialists than those clients accessing services at non-medically linked institutions (p= .05). Conclusion: Overall, HIV-positive women in New York City report satisfaction in quality of care, which is counter to findings in current literature. The results of our study suggest that both models of support services have been effective in helping HIV-positive women access quality medical care. Further coordination between case managers and medical providers can extend access to quality care that clients are currently experiencing.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify issues of access to care for women with HIV in New York City.
• Evaluate quality of medical care for women with HIV in New York City.
• Analyze access to quality care in medical and non-medical models for AIDS service agencies.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Access to Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.