Design and implementation of an instrument to measure the impact of program interventions on retention in primary care among hard-to-reach patients with HIV

Background: The effectiveness of outreach programs to retain hard-to-reach patients with HIV in primary care has yet to be comprehensively evaluated. We will present information on the design and implementation of a data collection instrument to track outreach and non-clinical staff program encounters with out-of-care patients that was developed as part of a multi-site evaluation. Methods: We systematically collected information on 1066 patients at 10 sites for over 33,000 program contacts during 12-18 months of follow-up. The purpose of the instrument was to allow for the classification and dose of the intervention provided for each patient. The information collected included the time and place of the contact, the reason for the contact, and the duration of the contact. Results: We will discuss how these data were summarized for analysis and linked longitudinally to patient interview and medical chart review data. We will present the results of an analysis relating program contact data to gaps in HIV primary care that shows that retention in such care is associated with a greater number of program contacts. Conclusions: Developing a structured data collection tool for use by program staff who are not experienced in collecting research data built capacity within community-based programs and clinics to collect data that was useful for program evaluation and planning.