The "START" (a Streamlined ART Initiation Strategy) Study

RATIONALE: In Africa, up to a 50-75% of HIV-infected, adults fail to initiate (FTI) ART or encounter delays of months even after eligibility through CD4+ T-cell testing or clinical criteria are established. Recent randomized trials including ACTG Protocol 5164, ACTG 5221, CAMELIA and SAPIT have demonstrated that delays of even weeks in ART initiation increases mortality among patients presenting with active opportunistic infections. Even among those without active infections, mortality among untreated persons with a CD4 < 350 approaches 15/100 person-years - a large proportion of which should be avoidable in patients who have presented to care. New dissemination and implementation strategies that are generalizable across resource-limited settings are needed to address FTI and make the public health approach more effective. The overall goal of the multi-component START strategy is to initiate the greatest number of eligible patients in the shortest amount of time possible, while maintaining safety, efficacy and cost effectiveness.

HYPOTHESIS: The START intervention, a combined intervention using provider education, novel technology and reinforcing feedback, will increase the rapidity and completeness of ART initiation.

INTERVENTION: START is clinic-level (not individual-patient) intervention to catalyze the process of ART initiation among HIV-infected adults who meet CD4-based criteria for combination ART (e.g., adults with a CD4 T cell level < 350/ul). The three START components are: (1) real-time point-of-care CD4 testing using the Alere PIMA platform to ascertain treatment eligibility in real time at first presentation to care, (2) targeted knowledge transfer (i.e., dissemination) of recent scientific evidence regarding effects rapid ART initiation on survival to front line health care workers; and 3) feedback and reporting to clinic and providers. There three components represent empirically validated steps in the PRECEED implementation model.

STUDY DESIGN: A cluster-randomized, step-wedge trail of 20 clinics operated by the Makerere Joint AIDS Program. Four clinic sites will be randomly assigned to the START at 6-month intervals between month six and 24 during the three-year trial.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE