Case Management Improves Outcomes

Intervention by an HIV case manager--even brief involvement--signficantly increases the chances that newly diagnosed patients will seek early medical care, say researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reporting in the March 4 issue of the journal AIDS, the scientists say a study of 273 newly diagnosed HIV-positive adults has shown that 78% of those receiving case management services made a visit to an HIV specialist within six months of diagnosis, compared with 60% of those who did not receive case management help. Successful linkage to care was highest among clients who saw a case manager twice or more. Patients in early care had significantly lower viral loads one year after diagnosis, according to the study. 'A relatively modest investment in case management resulted in signficantly improved use of HIV care,' the authors conclude. 'Brief case management is thus a tangible and affordable resource that can be offered to HIV-positive clients soon after diagnosis.