Quality of HIV Care and Mortality Rates in HIV-Infected Patients.

Korthuis PT, McGinnis KA, Kraemer KL, Gordon AJ, Skanderson M, Justice AC, Crystal S, Goetz MB, Gibert CL, Rimland D, Fiellin LE, Gaither JR, Wang K, Asch SM, McInnes DK, Ohl ME, Bryant K, Tate JP, Duggal M, Fiellin DA, Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Quality of HIV Care and Mortality Rates in HIV-Infected Patients. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2016 Jan 15; 62(2):233-9.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• CDA 11-211 – Improving Access and Outcomes for Rural Veterans with HIV

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act encourages healthcare systems to track quality-of-care measures; little is known about their impact on mortality rates. The objective of this study was to assess associations between HIV quality of care and mortality rates. METHODS: A longitudinal survival analysis of the Veterans Aging Cohort Study included 3038 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients enrolled between June 2002 and July 2008. The independent variable was receipt of 80% of 9 HIV quality indicators (QIs) abstracted from medical records in the 12 months after enrollment. Overall mortality rates through 2014 were assessed from the Veterans Health Administration, Medicare, and Social Security National Death Index records. We assessed associations between receiving 80% of HIV QIs and mortality rates using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Results were stratified by unhealthy alcohol and illicit drug use. RESULTS: The majority of participants were male (97.5%) and black (66.8%), with a mean (standard deviation) age of 49.0 (8.8) years. Overall, 25.9% reported past-year unhealthy alcohol use and 28.4% reported past-year illicit drug use. During 24 805 person-years of follow-up (mean [standard deviation], 8.2 [3.3] years), those who received 80% of QIs experienced lower age-adjusted mortality rates (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, .65-.86). Adjustment for disease severity attenuated the association. CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of 80% of select HIV QIs is associated with improved survival in a sample of predominantly male, black, HIV-infected patients but was insufficient to overcome adjustment for disease severity. Interventions to ensure high-quality care and address underlying chronic illness may improve survival in HIV-infected patients.