Estimating the potential health economic value of introducing universal opt-out testing for HIV in emergency departments in Italy
Italy faces challenges with late HIV diagnoses, which leads to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs. In Italy, the proportion of late diagnoses (i.e., a CD4 count <350 cells/mm3) has increased to 60% in 2020—10% higher than the European average (1). With an estimated 13,000–15,000 undiagnosed HIV cases in Italy, innovative testing strategies are urgently needed Read More >
When will the UK achieve HIV transmission elimination? Modelling the impact of current HIV prevention efforts on progress towards the 2030 elimination goal
In 2019, the previous UK government set the ambitious target of eliminating HIV transmission within the UK by 2030. While great progress has been made in HIV prevention and treatment in the UK, with England reaching the UNAIDS 95-95-95 target in 20231, past evidence suggested that the goal of ‘elimination’ by 2030 is unlikely to Read More >
Providing integrated HIV treatment and care for stable patients in general practice
Estimating the true costs of splitting HIV antiretroviral drugs
There is a temptation to switch to cheaper generic antiretroviral drugs compared to fixed-dose combination therapy for HIV patients in the interests of cost savings. However, in our analysis we found that there were no costs saved when including all patient care including drugs, additional clinic visits and monitoring. We also found that switching may cause confusion for some patients, risking loss of adherence. This evidence can help commissioners make better policy decisions about drug provision.
Increased efficiency and improved treatment for stable HIV patients in England
Collaborators at St Georges Hospital wanted to understand the impact of changing service provision for stable HIV patients, as no evidence existed on what was best for clinics. We built a tool in Excel, and results indicated that 6-monthly appointments and 3-monthly home delivery of drugs is the cheapest option and could yield £2000 savings per patient, translating to an annual cost reduction of ~£8 million for the estimated 4000 eligible patients not currently on home delivery in England in 2012.
The financial and service implications of splitting fixed-dose antiretroviral drugs – a case study
Treatment for stable HIV patients in England: can we save costs and improve patient care?
