Perceived need for ancillary services among HIV-infected adults receiving care

HIV-infected persons often require ancillary services in addition to HIV medical care, and case management is the most common link to ancillary services. Using data from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP), we examined regional differences in unmet need for ancillary services among HIV-infected adults receiving care in the U.S. We also examined facilities' provision of HIV case management in those regions. MMP is a surveillance project that collects information on experiences and needs of HIV-infected adults receiving care. Interview data on unmet needs for ancillary services were collected during 2007-2008 in 20 states from patients who received medical care in 2007. Information was also collected on case management services at the medical facilities from which patients were sampled. Of the 3901 interview respondents, 981 (25%) reported at least one unmet need for ancillary services. Higher proportions of respondents in the Midwest (32%) and West (29%) reported unmet needs than those in the Northeast (23%) and South (22%) regions. Midwest/West respondents reported significantly more unmet need than Northeast/South respondents (p<.0001). Facility data reveal that a higher proportion of HIV care facilities in the Northeast (56%) and South (32%) offered HIV case management services than facilities in the West (25%) or Midwest (24%). We found regional differences in unmet need for ancillary services and on-site HIV case management services. Our preliminary findings highlight the importance of on-site case management in linking HIV-infected adults to ancillary services. Additional analyses are needed to determine the reasons HIV-infected patients have unmet need for ancillary services.