Browsing by Author "Otero, Larissa"

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    Integrating services for HIV and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: A global cross-sectional survey among ART clinics in low- and middle-income countries
    (PLOS, 2022-03) Zürcher, Kathrin; Cox, Samyra R.; Ballif, Marie; Enane, Leslie A.; Marcy, Olivier; Yotebieng, Marcel; Reubenson, Gary; Imsanguan, Worarat; Otero, Larissa; Suryavanshi, Nishi; Duda, Stephany N.; Egger, Matthias; Tornheim, Jeffrey A.; Fenner, Lukas; International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA); Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among PLHIV and multidrug-resistant-TB (MDR-TB) is associated with high mortality. We examined the management for adult PLHIV coinfected with MDR-TB at ART clinics in lower income countries. Between 2019 and 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey at 29 ART clinics in high TB burden countries within the global IeDEA network. We used structured questionnaires to collect clinic-level data on the TB and HIV services and the availability of diagnostic tools and treatment for MDR-TB. Of 29 ART clinics, 25 (86%) were in urban areas and 19 (66%) were tertiary care clinics. Integrated HIV-TB services were reported at 25 (86%) ART clinics for pan-susceptible TB, and 14 (48%) clinics reported full MDR-TB services on-site, i.e. drug susceptibility testing [DST] and MDR-TB treatment. Some form of DST was available on-site at 22 (76%) clinics, while the remainder referred testing off-site. On-site DST for second-line drugs was available at 9 (31%) clinics. MDR-TB treatment was delivered on-site at 15 (52%) clinics, with 10 individualizing treatment based on DST results and five using standardized regimens alone. Bedaquiline was routinely available at 5 (17%) clinics and delamanid at 3 (10%) clinics. Although most ART clinics reported having integrated HIV and TB services, few had fully integrated MDR-TB services. There is a continued need for increased access to diagnostic and treatment options for MDR-TB patients and better integration of MDR-TB services into the HIV care continuum.
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    Lessons learned from over a decade of data audits in international observational HIV cohorts in Latin America and East Africa
    (Cambridge University Press, 2023-11-03) Lotspeich, Sarah C.; Shepherd, Bryan E.; Kariuk, Marion Achieng; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; McGowan, Catherine C.; Musick, Beverly; Semeere, Aggrey; Crabtree Ramírez, Brenda E.; Mkwashapi, Denna M.; Cesar, Carina; Ssemakadde, Matthew; Machado, Daisy Maria; Ngeresa, Antony; Ferreira, Flávia Faleiro; Lwali, Jerome; Marcelin, Adias; Wagner Cardoso, Sandra; Luque, Marco Tulio; Otero, Larissa; Cortés, Claudia P.; Duda, Stephany N.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Routine patient care data are increasingly used for biomedical research, but such "secondary use" data have known limitations, including their quality. When leveraging routine care data for observational research, developing audit protocols that can maximize informational return and minimize costs is paramount. Methods: For more than a decade, the Latin America and East Africa regions of the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium have been auditing the observational data drawn from participating human immunodeficiency virus clinics. Since our earliest audits, where external auditors used paper forms to record audit findings from paper medical records, we have streamlined our protocols to obtain more efficient and informative audits that keep up with advancing technology while reducing travel obligations and associated costs. Results: We present five key lessons learned from conducting data audits of secondary-use data from resource-limited settings for more than 10 years and share eight recommendations for other consortia looking to implement data quality initiatives. Conclusion: After completing multiple audit cycles in both the Latin America and East Africa regions of the IeDEA consortium, we have established a rich reference for data quality in our cohorts, as well as large, audited analytical datasets that can be used to answer important clinical questions with confidence. By sharing our audit processes and how they have been adapted over time, we hope that others can develop protocols informed by our lessons learned from more than a decade of experience in these large, diverse cohorts.