@article{7f9df1cb2bd64beb932980cf99776bd8,
title = "Strategies to improve access to and utilization of health care services and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected drug users",
abstract = "We review five innovative strategies to improve access, utilization, and adherence for HIV-infected drug users and suggest areas that need further attention. In addition, we highlight two innovative programs. The first increases access and utilization through integrated HIV and opioid addiction treatment with buprenorphine in a community health center, and the second incorporates adherence counseling for antiretroviral therapy in methadone programs. Preliminary evaluations demonstrated that these strategies may improve both HIV and opioid addiction outcomes and may be appropriate for wider dissemination. Further refinement and expansion of strategies to improve outcomes of HIV-infected drug users is warranted.",
keywords = "HIV, access to care, adherence counselors, adherence to antiretroviral therapy, case management, directly observed therapy, drug treatment, health care utilization, integrated treatment, outreach, patient navigation, peer support",
author = "Cunningham, {Chinazo O.} and Sohler, {Nancy L.} and Cooperman, {Nina A.} and Berg, {Karina M.} and Litwin, {Alain H.} and Arnsten, {Julia H.}",
note = "Funding Information: Support was provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Special Projects of National Significance (no. 6H97HA00247), and the Center for AIDS Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, no. AI-51519). In addition, Dr. Cunningham is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program; Dr. Cooperman is supported by the NIH (nos. R01 DA015302 and KK23 DA025049); Drs. Berg and Litwin are supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (nos. 021087 and 022454) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholar Program; and Dr. Arnsten is supported by the NIH (nos. R01 DA015302 and R25 DA023021). 1The journal{\textquoteright}s style utilizes the category substance abuse as a diagnostic category. Substances are used or misused; living organisms are and can be abused. Editor{\textquoteright}s note. Address correspondence to Chinazo O. Cunningham, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, 111 E. 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467; E-mail: ccunning@montefiore.org. Funding Information: is a faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Berg{\textquoteright}s current research interests include optimizing care for HIV- infected drug users. Specifically, she is examining improving antiretroviral adherence and treatment of chronic pain. For her research, she was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholars Program and a career development award from the NIH. These projects involve combining information from multiple adherence measures through structural equation modeling, examining the agreement and validity of different specific self-report measures of adherence, and exploring the underlying cognitive tasks involved in answering specific adherence questions through qualitative research methods including cognitive interviewing.",
year = "2011",
month = jan,
day = "10",
doi = "10.3109/10826084.2011.522840",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "46",
pages = "218--232",
journal = "Substance Use and Misuse",
issn = "1082-6084",
publisher = "Informa Healthcare",
number = "2-3",
}
