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Background: To examine the extent to which state adoption of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2006 revisions to adult and adolescent HIV testing guidelines is associated with availability of other important prevention and medical services. We hypothesized that in states where the pretest counseling requirement for HIV testing was dropped from state legislation, substance use disorder treatment programs would have higher availability of HCV testing services than in states that had maintained this requirement., Methods: We analyzed a nationally representative sample of 383 opioid treatment programs from the 2005 and 2011 National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS). Data were collected from program directors and clinical supervisors through telephone surveys. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to measure associations between state adoption of CDC recommended guidelines for HIV pretest counseling and availability of HCV testing services., Results: The effects of HIV testing legislative changes on HCV testing practices varied by type of opioid treatment program. In states that had removed the requirement for HIV pretest counseling, buprenorphine-only programs were more likely to offer HCV testing to their patients. The positive spillover effect of HIV pretest counseling policies, however, did not extend to methadone programs and did not translate into increased availability of on-site HCV testing in either program type., Conclusions: Our findings highlight potential positive spillover effects of HIV testing policies on HCV testing practices. They also suggest that maximizing the benefits of HIV policies may require other initiatives, including resources and programmatic efforts that support systematic integration with other services and effective implementation.

Introduction: Rapid HIV testing (RHT) greatly increases the proportion of clients who learn their test results. However, existing studies have not examined the adoption and implementation of RHT in programs treating persons with substance use disorders, one of the population groups at higher risk for HIV infection., Methods: We examined 196 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) using data from the 2011 National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS). We used logistic regressions to identify client and organizational characteristics of OTPs associated with availability of on-site RHT. We then used zero-inflated negative binomial regressions to measure the association between the availability of RHT on-site and the number of clients tested for HIV., Results: Only 31.6% of OTPs offered on-site rapid HIV testing to their clients. Rapid HIV testing was more commonly available on-site in larger, publicly owned and better-staffed OTPs. On the other hand, on-site rapid HIV testing was less common in OTPs that prescribed only buprenorphine as a method of opioid dependence treatment. The availability of rapid HIV testing on-site reduced the likelihood that an OTP did not test any of its clients during the prior year. But on-site availability rapid HIV testing was not otherwise associated with an increased number of clients tested for HIV at an OTP., Conclusions: New strategies are needed to a) promote the adoption of rapid HIV testing on-site in substance use disorder treatment programs and b) encourage substance use disorder treatment providers to offer rapid HIV testing to their clients when it is available., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Health care organizations do not adopt best practices as often or quickly as they merit. This gap in the integration of best practices into routine practice remains a significant public health concern. The role of program managers in the adoption of best practices has seldom been investigated., Methods: We investigated the association between characteristics of program managers and the adoption of hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing services in opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Data came from the 2005 (n = 187) and 2011 (n = 196) National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS). We used multivariate regression models to examine correlates of the adoption of HCV testing. We included covariates describing program manager characteristics, such as their race/ethnicity, education, and their sources of information about developments in the field of substance use disorder treatment. We also controlled for characteristics of OTPs and the client populations they serve., Results: Program managers were predominantly white and female. A large proportion of program managers had post-graduate education. Program managers expressed strong support for preventive services, but they reported making limited use of available sources of information about developments in the field of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. The provision of any HCV testing (either on-site or off-site) in OTPs was positively associated with the extent to which a program manager was supportive of preventive services. Among OTPs offering any HCV testing to their clients, on-site HCV testing was more common among programs with an African American manager. It was also more common when program managers relied on a variety of information sources about developments in SUD treatment., Conclusions: Various characteristics of program managers are associated with the adoption of HCV testing in OTPs. Promoting diversity among program managers, and increasing managers' access to information about developments in SUD treatment, may help foster the adoption of best practices.

Background: More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and 3.2 million are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV). An estimated 25 % of persons living with HIV also have HCV. It is therefore of great public health importance to ensure the prompt diagnosis of both HIV and HCV in populations that have the highest prevalence of both infections, including individuals with substance use disorders (SUD)., Methods/design: In this theory-driven, efficacy-effectiveness-implementation hybrid study, we will develop and test an on-site bundled rapid HIV/HCV testing intervention for SUD treatment programs. Its aim is to increase the receipt of HIV and HCV test results among SUD treatment patients. Using a rigorous process involving patients, providers, and program managers, we will incorporate rapid HCV testing into evidence-based HIV testing and linkage to care interventions. We will then test, in a randomized controlled trial, the extent to which this bundled rapid HIV/HCV testing approach increases receipt of HIV and HCV test results. Lastly, we will conduct formative research to understand the barriers to, and facilitators of, the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of the bundled rapid testing strategy in SUD treatment programs., Discussion: Novel approaches that effectively integrate on-site rapid HIV and rapid HCV testing are needed to address both the HIV and HCV epidemics. If feasible and efficacious, bundled rapid HIV/HCV testing may offer a scalable, potentially cost-effective approach to testing high-risk populations, such as patients of SUD treatment programs. It may ultimately lead to improved linkage to care and progress through the HIV and HCV care and treatment cascades., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02355080 . (30 January 2015).

Background: HIV testing and receipt of HIV test results among individuals with substance use disorders is less than optimal. We examined rates and correlates of HIV testing and receipt of test results in one of the largest public addiction health services systems in the United States., Methods: The study included 139,516 adult clients in treatment between 2006 and 2011. We used logistic regression models to examine associations between predisposing, enabling, and need factors and two dependent variables, HIV testing rates and receipt of test results. Associations were considered statistically significance at p < .01., Results: We found that 64% of clients reported being tested for HIV, of whom 85% reported receiving their test results. Likelihood of being tested was positively associated with being female, a minority, homeless, employed, having prior treatment episodes, comorbidities, injection drug use, or a history of mental illness. It was negatively associated with alcohol or marijuana as primary drug. Receipt of test results was more likely among clients on medication (methadone or buprenorphine) or whose method of drug use was smoking, inhalation, or injecting; it was less likely among older clients and those with more outpatient psychiatric visits., Conclusions: Findings from this study may inform strategies and targeting of population groups to improve HIV testing practices and ultimately increase awareness of infection status among clients of addiction health services.

The article reviews data on HIV testing, treatment, and care outcomes for women who use drugs in 5 countries across 5 continents. We chose countries in which the HIV epidemic has, either currently or historically, been fueled by injection and non-injection drug use and that have considerable variation in social structural and drug policies: Argentina, Vietnam, Australia, Ukraine, and the United States. There is a dearth of available HIV care continuum outcome data [ie, testing, linkage, retention, antiretroviral therapy (ART) provision, viral suppression] among women drug users, particularly among noninjectors. Although some progress has been made in increasing HIV testing in this population, HIV-positive women drug users in 4 of the 5 countries have not fully benefitted from ART nor are they regularly engaged in HIV care. Issues such as the criminalization of drug users, HIV-specific criminal laws, and the lack of integration between substance use treatment and HIV primary care play a major role. Strategies that effectively address the pervasive factors that prevent women drug users from engaging in HIV care and benefitting from ART and other prevention services are critical. Future success in enhancing the HIV continuum for women drug users should consider structural and contextual level barriers and promote social, economic, and legal policies that overhaul the many years of discrimination and stigmatization faced by women drug users worldwide. Such efforts must emphasis the translation of policies into practice and approaches to implementation that can help HIV-infected women who use drugs engage at all points of the HIV care continuum.

Background: Health insurance premium exemptions for pregnant women are a strategy to increase coverage of maternal health services in sub-Saharan countries. We examine health insurance registration among pregnant women before or after the introduction of a premium exemption, and test whether registration increases utilization of maternal health services., Methods: Data were drawn from a retrospective cohort study of 1641 women having given birth between January 2008 and August 2010 in two impoverished districts of Northern Ghana. Among those, 1411 became pregnant after premium exemption was adopted in July 2008. We compared registration rates before and after the exemption. We used logistic regressions to measure the association between insurance registration and receipt of essential maternal health interventions in the context of the premium exemption. We tested whether this association varied across levels of the health system [e.g. hospitals and health centres (HCs) vs community health compounds (CHC)]., Results: Health insurance registration increased significantly among pregnant women after adoption of the premium exemption. Coverage of clinical and diagnostic services was high, but antenatal care (ANC) clients received only partial counselling about safe motherhood (e.g. pregnancy-related danger signs). Three out of four clients who sought ANC in hospitals and HCs delivered at a health facility vs. slightly more than 50% among clients of CHC. In hospitals and HCs, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration was associated with higher quality of services. In CHCs, NHIS registrants received fewer diagnostic tests, were less extensively counselled about safe motherhood and were less likely to be vaccinated against tetanus toxoid than non-registered clients. Among CHCs clients, being a NHIS registrant was however associated with an increased likelihood of delivering at a health facility., Conclusions: In the context of premium exemptions, association of health insurance with use of maternal health services, and quality of services received, depends on place where pregnant women seek ANC., (Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.)

Effective treatment for patients with opioid use problems is as critical as ever given the upsurge in heroin and prescription opioid abuse. Yet, results from prior studies show that the majority of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs in the US have not provided dose levels that meet evidence-based standards. Thus, this paper examines the extent to which US MMT programs have made changes in the past 23 years to provide adequate methadone doses; we also identify factors associated with variation in program performance. Program directors and clinical supervisors of nationally-representative methadone treatment programs were surveyed in 1988 (n=172), 1990 (n=140), 1995 (n=116), 2000 (n=150), 2005 (n=146), and 2011 (n=140). Results show that the proportion of patients who received doses below 60 mg/day-the minimum recommended-declined from 79.5 to 22.8% in a 23-year span. Results from random effects models show that programs that serve a higher proportion of African-American or Hispanic patients were more likely to report low-dose care. Programs with Joint Commission accreditation were more likely to provide higher doses, as were a program that serves a higher proportion of unemployed and older patients. Efforts to improve methadone treatment practices have made substantial progress, but 23% of patients across the nation are still receiving doses that are too low to be effective., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We examined trends and organizational-level correlates of the availability of HCV testing in opioid treatment programs., Methods: We used generalized ordered logit models to examine associations between organizational characteristics of 383 opioid treatment programs from the 2005 and 2011 National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey and HCV testing availability., Results: Between 2005 and 2011, the proportion of opioid treatment programs offering HCV testing increased but largely because of increases in off-site referrals rather than on-site testing. HCV testing availability was higher in opioid treatment programs affiliated with a hospital and those receiving federal funds. Opioid treatment programs providing both methadone and buprenorphine were more likely to offer any HCV testing, whereas opioid treatment programs providing only buprenorphine treatment were less likely to offer on-site testing. HCV testing availability was associated with more favorable staff-to-client ratios., Conclusions: The increasing use of off-site referrals for HCV testing in opioid treatment programs likely limits opportunities for case finding, prevention, and treatment. Declines in federal funding for opioid treatment programs may be a key determinant of the availability of HCV testing in opioid treatment programs.

HCV has surpassed HIV as a cause of death in the United States and is particularly prevalent among injection drug users. I examined the availability of on-site HCV testing in a nationally representative sample of opioid treatment programs. Nearly 68% of these programs had the staff required for HCV testing, but only 34% offered on-site testing. Availability of on-site testing increased only slightly with the proportion of injection drug users among clients. The limited HCV testing services in opioid treatment programs is a key challenge to reducing HCV in the US population.

Background: The adoption of health information technology has been recommended as a viable mechanism for improving quality of care and patient health outcomes. However, the capacity of health information technology (i.e., availability and use of multiple and advanced functionalities), particularly in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on improving quality of care is not well understood. We examined associations between health information technology (HIT) capacity at FQHCs and quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summary, frequency of patients receiving reminders/notifications for preventive care/follow-up care, and timely appointment for specialty care., Methods: The analyses used 2009 data from the National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers. The study included 776 of the FQHCs that participated in the survey. We examined the extent of HIT use and tested the hypothesis that level of HIT capacity is associated with quality of care. Multivariable logistic regressions, reporting unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios, were used to examine whether 'FQHCs' HIT capacity' is associated with the outcome measures., Results: The results showed a positive association between health information technology capacity and quality of care. FQHCs with higher HIT capacity were significantly more likely to have improved quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summaries (OR=1.43; CI=1.01, 2.40), the use of a patient notification system for preventive and follow-up care (OR=1.74; CI=1.23, 2.45), and timely appointment for specialty care (OR=1.77; CI=1.24, 2.53)., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the promise of HIT in improving quality of care, particularly for vulnerable populations who seek care at FQHCs. The results also show that FQHCs may not be maximizing the benefits of HIT. Efforts to implement HIT must include strategies that facilitate the implementation of comprehensive and advanced functionalities, as well as promote meaningful use of these systems. Further examination of the role of health information systems in clinical decision-making and improvements in patient outcomes are needed to better understand the benefits of HIT in improving overall quality of care.

Background: Influenza A viruses that cause highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) also infect humans. In many developing countries such as Ghana, poultry and humans live in close proximity in both the general and military populations, increasing risk for the spread of HPAI from birds to humans. Respiratory infections such as influenza are especially prone to rapid spread among military populations living in close quarters such as barracks making this a key population for targeted avian influenza surveillance and public health education., Method: Twelve military barracks situated in the coastal, tropical rain forest and northern savannah belts of the country were visited and the troops and their families educated on pandemic avian influenza. Attendants at each site was obtained from the attendance sheet provided for registration. The seminars focused on zoonotic diseases, influenza surveillance, pathogenesis of avian influenza, prevention of emerging infections and biosecurity. To help direct public health policies, a questionnaire was used to collect information on animal populations and handling practices from 102 households in the military barracks. Cloacal and tracheal samples were taken from 680 domestic and domesticated wild birds and analysed for influenza A using molecular methods for virus detection., Results: Of the 1028 participants that took part in the seminars, 668 (65%) showed good knowledge of pandemic avian influenza and the risks associated with its infection. Even though no evidence of the presence of avian influenza (AI) infection was found in the 680 domestic and wild birds sampled, biosecurity in the households surveyed was very poor., Conclusion: Active surveillance revealed that there was no AI circulation in the military barracks in April 2011. Though participants demonstrated good knowledge of pandemic avian influenza, biosecurity practices were minimal. Sustained educational programs are needed to further strengthen avian influenza surveillance and prevention in military barracks.

Objective: To determine participation in polio supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) in sub-Saharan Africa among users and non-users of routine immunization services and among users who were compliant or non-compliant with the routine oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) immunization schedule., Methods: Data were obtained from household-based surveys in non-polio-endemic sub-Saharan African countries. Routine immunization service users were children (aged < 5 years) who had ever had a health card containing their vaccination history; non-users were children who had never had a health card. Users were considered compliant with the OPV routine immunization schedule if, by the SIA date, their health card reflected receipt of required OPV doses. Logistic regression measured associations between SIA participation and use of both routine immunization services and compliance with routine OPV among users., Findings: Data from 21 SIAs conducted between 1999 and 2010 in 15 different countries met inclusion criteria. Overall SIA participation ranged from 70.2% to 96.1%. It was consistently lower among infants than among children aged 1-4 years. In adjusted analyses, participation among routine immunization services users was > 85% in 12 SIAs but non-user participation was >85% in only 5 SIAs. In 18 SIAs, participation was greater among users (P < 0.01 in 16, 0.05 in 1 and < 0.10 in 1) than non-users. In 14 SIAs, adjusted analyses revealed lower participation among non-compliant users than among compliant users (P < 0.01 in 10, < 0.05 in 2 and < 0.10 in 2)., Conclusion: Large percentages of children participated in SIAs. Prior use of routine immunization services and compliance with the routine OPV schedule showed a strong positive association with SIA participation.

Objectives: To assess whether supervision of primary health care workers improves their productivity in four districts of Northern Ghana., Methods: We conducted a time-use study during which the activities of health workers were repeatedly observed and classified. Classification included four categories: direct patient care; documentation and reporting; staff development and facility operations; and personal time. These data were supplemented by a survey of health workers during which patterns of supervision were assessed. We used logistic regression models with health facility fixed effects to test the hypothesis that supervision increases the amount of time spent providing direct patient care (productivity). We further investigated whether these effects depend on whether or not supervision is supportive., Results: Direct patient care accounted for <25% of observations. In bivariate analyses, productivity was higher among midwives and in facilities with a high volume of care. Supervisory visits were frequent in those four districts, but only a minority of health workers felt supported by their supervisors. Having been supervised within the last month was associated with a significantly higher proportion of time spent on direct patient care (OR = 1.57). The effects of supervision on productivity further depended on whether the health workers felt supported by their supervisors., Conclusion: Supportive supervision was associated with increased productivity. Investments in supervision could help maximize the output of scarce human resources in primary health care facilities. Time-use studies represent an objective approach in monitoring the productivity of health workers and evaluating the impact of health-system interventions on human resources., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Background: Utilization of specialty care may not be a discrete, isolated behavior but rather, a behavior of sequential movements within the health care system. Although patients may often visit their primary care physician and receive a referral before utilizing specialty care, prior studies have underestimated the importance of accounting for these sequential movements., Methods: The sample included 6,772 adults aged 18 years and older who participated in the 2001 Survey on Disparities in Quality of Care, sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund. A sequential logit model was used to account for movement in all stages of utilization: use of any health services (i.e., first stage), having a perceived need for specialty care (i.e., second stage), and utilization of specialty care (i.e., third stage). In the sequential logit model, all stages are nested within the previous stage., Results: Gender, race/ethnicity, education and poor health had significant explanatory effects with regard to use of any health services and having a perceived need for specialty care, however racial/ethnic, gender, and educational disparities were not present in utilization of specialty care. After controlling for use of any health services and having a perceived need for specialty care, inability to pay for specialty care via income (AOR = 1.334, CI = 1.10 to 1.62) or health insurance (unstable insurance: AOR = 0.26, CI = 0.14 to 0.48; no insurance: AOR = 0.12, CI = 0.07 to 0.20) were significant barriers to utilization of specialty care., Conclusions: Use of a sequential logit model to examine utilization of specialty care resulted in a detailed representation of utilization behaviors and patient characteristics that impact these behaviors at all stages within the health care system. After controlling for sequential movements within the health care system, the biggest barrier to utilizing specialty care is the inability to pay, while racial, gender, and educational disparities diminish to non-significance. Findings from this study represent how Americans use the health care system and more precisely reveals the disparities and inequalities in the U.S. health care system.

Background: Uptake of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) is lower among members of the poorest households in sub-Saharan countries, thereby creating significant inequalities in access to HTC and possibly antiretroviral treatment., Objectives: To measure uptake of home-based HTC and estimate HIV prevalence among members of the poorest households in a sub-Saharan population., Methods: Residents of 6 villages of Likoma Island (Malawi) aged 18-35 and their spouses were offered home-based HTC services. Socioeconomic status, HIV testing history, and HIV risk factors were assessed. Differences in HTC uptake and HIV infection rates between members of households in the lowest income quartile and the rest of the population were estimated using logistic regression., Results: Members of households in the lowest income quartile were significantly less likely to have ever used facility-based HTC services than the rest of the population (odds ratio = 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.36 to 0.97). In contrast, they were significantly more likely to use home-based HTC services provided during the study (adjusted odds ratio = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.79). Socioeconomic differences in uptake of home-based HTC were not due to underlying differences in socioeconomic characteristics or HIV risk factors. The prevalence of HIV was significantly lower among members of the poorest households tested during home-based HTC than among the rest of the population (adjusted odds ratio = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.96)., Conclusions: HTC uptake was high during a home-based HTC campaign on Likoma Island, particularly among the poorest. Home-based HTC has the potential to significantly reduce existing socioeconomic gradients in HTC uptake and help mitigate the impact of AIDS on the most vulnerable households.

Objectives: We examined the effects of maternal and provider characteristics on the up-to-date immunization status of children., Methods: We used data from the 2003 National Immunization Survey to determine variations in children's up-to-date status in the 4:3:1:3 immunization series., Results: Low maternal educational levels and low socioeconomic status were associated with high 4:3:1:3 series completion rates. Also, completion rates were high in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black families with low income-to-poverty ratios., Conclusions: We found that children of less educated mothers and children in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black families with low income-to-poverty ratios were more likely to have completed the 4:3:1:3 series. Although the reasons for these results need further exploration in other data sets, possible factors are Hispanics' positive cultural attitudes regarding the needs and importance of young children and provision of information on immunizations to low-income minority mothers who access government-subsidized health care programs.

The health care industry has undergone dramatic changes over the past decade. Advances in technologies are being implemented, making the health care industry more complex. In response to increasing administrative costs, the inability to control the collection and distribution of an individual's health information, and the rising costs of health care, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed as part of the Social Security Act in 1996 to address the emerging complexities of the industry. Over the past years, the health care system has focused efforts on compliance with HIPAA regulations. HIPAA compliance can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and protect the privacy of personal medical information; however, some health care providers and other health care entities have experienced various setbacks in efforts to comply with HIPAA. Health care providers may be reluctant to comply with HIPAA regulations because the rules are complex and result in short-term increases in administrative costs. Nevertheless, long-term HIPAA compliance could allow the health care system to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in health care delivery.