HIV care using differentiated service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cohort study in the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Kathleen A McGinnisMelissa SkandersonAmy C JusticeKathleen M AkgünJanet P TateJoseph T KingChristopher T RentschMahomed-Yunus MoosaEvelyn HsiehChristopher RuserFarah Kidwai-KhanRoozbeh YousefzadehJoseph ErdosLesley S ParkPublished in: Journal of the International AIDS Society (2021)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the VA increased the use of virtual visits and longer ARV refills, while maintaining a high percentage of patients with suppressed VL among those with VL measured. Despite decreased in-person services during the pandemic, access to ARVs was not disrupted. More follow-up time is needed to determine whether overall health was impacted by the use of differentiated service delivery and to evaluate whether a long-term shift to increased virtual healthcare could be beneficial, particularly for PWH in rural areas or with transportation barriers. Programmes to increase ARV use and VL testing for women are needed.