Descripción de las características de 44 centros de atención VIH en 11 países de América Latina; Resultados del Taller Latinoamericano de VIH.

Background: Standardized information about resources availability for HIV-infected patients care in Latin America is scarce. The Latin American Workshop Study Group (TLA-VIH) gathered these data throughout the region. Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe characteristics of centers participating of the TLA-VIH and their availability of resources for HIV care in 2015. Methods: Cross-sectional study with information requested to participant centers in 4 fields: (1) general characteristics of centers, (2) health care staff, (3) resources for HIV care and (4) treatment. We used multiple steps for data validation. Results were analyzed by public or private health care provision and by location of providers in provinces or capital cities. Results: We obtained information from 44 centers on charge of 99,639 patients in 11 countries of Latin America. HIV care is provided by an adequate number of health workers and HIV monitoring by Viral Load with an average of 1.8 measurements per year. Resistance testing at first failure is available for 84% of patients while testing for transmitted drug resistance is only available for 28% of HIV-infected population in this study. One third of patients have been potentially exposed to antiretroviral stock out episodes. Conclusions: We analyze characteristics of HIV care in eleven Spanish speaking countries from Americas and the Caribbean. Public and private centers from provinces and capital cities are included in the sample increasing representativeness of results. In general availability of specialized health care human resources is enough at centers participating in this study, but some limitations in terms of availability of resistance testing and electronic resources is observed as well as episodes of shortage of antiretrovirals. These results support the need to discuss minimal standards for HIV care in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]