Magister Public Health - MPH / Antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves the quality of lives of people living with HIV/AIDS by suppressing HIV replication and improving the patient’s immunity. An improved immunity will help prevent patients from contracting opportunistic infections. Adherence to ART is vital to obtain good clinical outcome for patients. Defaulting ART leads to increase in viral load, decreased host immunity, development of HIV drug resistant strains, exposure to opportunistic infections and ultimately death. HIV positive patients who are on ART face many challenges in adhering to their medications, these challenges act as barriers to their adherence to treatment. This study explores the barriers that adult patients in a hospital in Eastern Cape of South Africa face while on treatment. These barriers include individual factors, socio-economic factors, health service factors, medical regimen factors.

South Africa, with an estimated 5.7 million people living with HIV, continues to have one of the largest epidemics in the world. The introduction of HAART resulted in prolonged and improved quality of life of many infected patients. However, adverse effects caused by these drugs have become a major concern as they affect the adherence of patients and in some cases even result in the death of patients. Although much research has been and is still being conducted in the area of understanding, preventing and management of ARV adverse effects, there is still a need for patients to be actively involved in self-monitoring for adverse effects. This will assist health care professionals in early identification of serious or potentially serious ARV effects. This study aimed at evaluating the usefulness of strategies developed and employed in the identification, recording and monitoring of adverse effects. The study was conducted with patients receiving HAART from a private HIV and AIDS clinic in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research project was approved by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Research and Ethics Committee and the research site. This was an experimental, randomized controlled study carried out over a period of three months (August to October 2009), with a sample size of 160 patients divided into four study groups of 40 patients each. Two monitoring strategies, namely an ARV adverse effect monitoring tool and a patient self-monitoring diary were developed and used for the identification and recording of adverse effects. The four study groups included a Control group, a Tool group, a Diary group and a Tool-Diary group. Willing patients, after signing an informed consent form, were randomly assigned to one of the four groups by participating health care workers at the study site. Data was retrieved from the patient files by the researcher. Descriptive statistical analysis of the findings of the study was conducted using SPSS®. One hundred and forty nine patients were included in the final data analysis. Of the 80 diaries handed out to patients, only 33 were returned and due to errors only 31 were suitable for analysis. Monitoring tools were completed and analysed for 36 patients. The tool was found to be more effective in identifying adverse effects of a physical nature (such as peripheral neuropathy and lipodystrophy) than the usual methods of monitoring employed by the clinic, whilst the diary, used alone, was found to be less effective. Use of the tool and diary combined resulted in the most significant identification and recording of central nervous system related adverse effects and physical adverse effects. However due to the low return rate of the diaries and the majority of the monitoring tool not being completed in many instances the results of this study may not be generalisable. The study results did however suggest that combining the tool and the diary methods of adverse effect identification, yielded the most favourable results when compared to each method alone. This may be attributed to the fact that the tool is useful in identifying objective symptoms and the diaries subjective symptoms, particularly in instances where the patients forget to report their symptoms to healthcare professional whilst at the clinic. The diaries were also reported to improve adherence for more than 90 percentage (n=31) of the patients. More research would be needed in order to verify the exact significance of the tool and the diary in identifying and recording adverse effects and symptoms of adverse effects.

This research focuses on the psychosocial factors that affect adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) amongst HIV/AIDS patients at Kalafong Hospital. Even though the development of such regimens has helped turn HIV infection in the United States into a relatively manageable, though still serious chronic disease, compliance remains one of the major challenges in managing medication for those patients living with HIV/AIDS. This is particularly relevant given the high adherence rate (95%) required to obtain a successful long-lasting effect. In South Africa non-compliance to HAART is an under-explored phenomenon. Consequently, an understanding of factors influencing compliance is still incomplete. A qualitative study that investigates non-adherence to medication in HIV/AIDS patients was undertaken at Kalafong Hospital. This study aimed to understand patients’ psychosocial difficulties resulting in non-adherence. The study was approached in terms of the health belief model (HBM), which addresses individual characteristics pertaining to change, the transtheoretical change model (TTM) and the motivational interviewing model (MI), which address both individual and social contexts pertaining to change. The findings are designed for use by healthcare professionals as a proactive compliance enhancement tool. Participants were recruited through referrals by the medical staff to the researcher. The criteria included that participants had relapsed due to non-compliance with drug therapy. Participants that were currently experiencing difficulties with adherence were also included in the study. Males and females aged between 20 and 40 were included in the study. Fifteen participants between the ages of 20 and 40 participated in the study (13 females and two males). The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and follow-up unstructured questions. The interviews were audio recorded and field notes were taken. Data were analysed qualitatively. Sixteen themes emerged and were further classified into two categories: individual and social context. The themes were then compared and integrated with the literature. The study concludes that psychosocial factors such as support from family, friends and healthcare workers was found to be of utmost importance in encouraging adherence. Medication can only prolong a patient’s life if the psychosocial context in which the patient is embedded is considered in the treatment plan. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The success of antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection through widespread and resounding has been limited by inadequate adherence to its unforgiving regimens especially over a long term. While health care professionals may not be able to predict adherence, they can help overcome barriers to adherence and take steps to improve it. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the strategies that are utilised by professional nurses in the primary health care facilities regarding adherence to antiretroviral therapy, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used to describe the strategies that are utilised by professional nurses in the primary health care facilities in the Capricorn District Limpopo Province, referring to Mankweng Hospital. The descriptive qualitative design was used. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data until saturation was reached. Informed consent was obtained prior the data collection. The data was analysed qualitatively using Tesch’s open coding method. 18 (eighteen) professional nurses working in the primary health care facilities participated in the study. The findings revealed that the strategies utilised by professional nurses in the primary health care facilities to improve adherence to ART were described. Information and education, health worker and adherence guidelines, use of adherence partner or treatment buddy, addressing religious beliefs, communication skills, community mobilisation and continuous counselling, were the strategies that were utilised by professional nurses in the primary health care facilities to improve adherence of patients to ART.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the determinant factors affecting adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV infected patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was used and data were collected by interviewing 290 study participants from two health facilities using structured questionnaire. The research finding revealed 80.0% of the study participants had optimal combined adherence to dose, schedule and dietary instructions in the past three days. And, the non adherence rate was 20.0%. In multivariate analysis only WHO clinical stage, change of ARV medication, knowledge about HIV disease and ART, and use of reminders were found to be independently associated with adherence to antiretroviral therapy. The most common reasons for missing HIV medications in the past one month were forgetfulness (35.1%), being busy with other things (17.5%), and running out of pills (10.5%). Adherence improving interventions should be emphasized to address multi-faceted problems. This study recommends setting of convenient appointment schedule, disclosure of one's HIV status, maintaining confidentiality of patient-related information, enhancing patient-provider relationship, use of reminders including SMS text messages, and engagement of PLHIV in adherence improving interventions through peer support, and providing regular health education to the PLHIV to improve adherence of patients to ART / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Published Article / In response to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in the country, the South African Government started with the provisioning of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in the public health sector. Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the ART programme is of the utmost importance. The current patient information system could not supply the required information to manage the rollout of the ART programme. A data warehouse, consisting of several data marts, was developed that integrated several disparate systems related to HIV/AIDS/ART into one system. It was, however, not possible to trace a patient across all the data marts in the data warehouse. No unique identifiers existed for the patient records in the different data marts and they also had different structures. Record linkage in conjunction with a mapping process was used to link all the data marts and in so doing identify the same patient in all the data marts. This resulted in a longitudinal patient record of an ART patient that displayed all the treatments received by the patient in all public health care facilities in the province.

The objectives of the study were (1) to quantify adherence rate among the study participants in the ART unit and (2) to identify factors that contribute to non-adherence. This cross sectional study was carried out at Nekemete referral clinic. Data was collected using a self-developed structured questionnaire where a total of 338 participants grouped into adherent and non-adherent based on a score derived from an adherence assessment were interviewed. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. By using multivariate analysis of variables identified as correlates of adherence, non-adherence was common among those; with age between 18-30 yrs, with no education, who were not married, who had no pipe water supply, those with no electricity in the house, who perceived had no access to assistance from providers, who perceived the health care providers (HCPs) did not keep information confidentially, who had a language barrier with providers, and who were treated with a psychiatric illness. The study concludes that adherence is multi-factorial and varies significantly by individual and care setting. Psychosocial factors were found to impact adherence and should be analysed in more detail by further studies. Three psychosocial factors were independently associated with poor adherence: the study found that patients perceiving poor access; those perceiving problems in information confidentiality (and possibly experiencing stigmatisation); and having psychiatric morbidity (and possibly with less social support) are more likely to be non-adherent. Furthermore, individuals without electricity and those without piped water supply, implying low income, are at risk for non-adherence / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As the only effective treatment for HIV/AIDS, adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical for successful treatment outcomes. Despite its open availability since the national rollout in 2004, adherence to ART has remained sub-optimal and the number of individuals shifted to the more expensive second-line therapy on steady increase. The literature reports more commonly on individual, psychological, and behavioural barriers to treatment. However, there has been a vast interest in the structural barriers that prohibit adherence to ART. In previous research, my colleagues and I identified the following structural barriers to treatment adherence: stigma-related barriers, the disincentives associated with disability grants, poor relationships with clinic staff, lack of privacy at clinics for counselling and treatment, transport difficulties in travelling to the clinic, long patient waiting times, food insecurity, substance abuse and the absence of substance abuse programmes, and migration. The data were arrived at by means of triangulated qualitative interviews obtained from patients, patient advocates, doctors, and nurses. Together, these qualitative data formed phase 1 of this study. The next step or phase 2, in this research was to develop a valid and reliable quantitative instrument based on these qualitative data. Therefore the primary aim of the study presented in this thesis was to identify the underlying factor structure of four scales aimed at measuring adherence at two levels namely, adherence to clinic attendance, and adherence to pill-taking. After sampling a group of almost 300 persons living with HIV (PLWH) four valid and reliable scales assessing structural barriers to adherence to ART were derived at with Cronbach alpha coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.91. For each scale, a general or higher order factor was determined by means of hierarchical transformation suggesting that the items on each of the scales were dominated by a single underlying factor. The findings of this research suggest that it is possible to assess the structural barriers to adherence that PLWH face on a daily basis. With a proper means, such as these scales, to assess structural barriers to adherence to ART clinicians may be able to identify patients who are likely to default and provide adequate attention to the most distressing barriers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Antiretrovirale terapie (ART) is die enigste effektiewe behandeling teen MIV/Vigs. Behandeling met hierdie terapie kan slegs suksesvol voltooi word indien die medikasie ononderbroke en gereeld geneem word. Alhoewel medikasie vrylik beskikbaar was sedertdien die nasionale bekendstelling in 2004, het die aantal individue wat na duurder tweede lyn terapie oorgegaan het toegeneem. Die volhoubaarheid van ART was dus nie optimaal nie. Dit kan toegeskryf word aan individuele -, sielkundige - en gedragstruikelblokke tydens behandeling wat tans baie aandag geniet in die literatuur. Om by te voeg, strukturele hindernisse tot ART geniet ook tans baie aandag. Met hierdie as agtergrond, was die primêre doel van die studie om die onderliggende faktor struktuur van vier skale wat strukturele hindernisse tot ART op twee vlakke meet, naamlik getroue kliniek bywoning en neem van medikasie, te indentifiseer. Ons het met vorige navorsing die volgende strukturele hindernisse tot ART geidentifiseer: stigma-verwante hindernisse, hindernisse wat verband hou met ongeskiktheidstoelaes, swak verhoudings met kliniek personeel, die gebrek aan privaatheid by klinieke in terme van berading en behandeling, vervoerprobleme, lang wagtye vir pasiënte, voedselonsekerheid, dwelmmisbruik en die afwesigheid van middelmisbruik-programme, asook migrasie. Data aangaande bogenoemde strukturele hindernisse is ingesamel deur middel van kwalitatiewe onderhoude met pasiënte, pasiënt-advokate, dokters en verpleegsters (fase 1). Gedurende fase 2 van hierdie studie is 'n geldige en betroubare kwantitatiewe instrument op grond van hierdie kwalitatiewe data ontwikkel. 'n Steekproef van ongeveer 300 MIV-geinfekteerde individue het deelgeneem. Vier geldige en betroubare skale is ontwikkel ten opsigte van die assessering van strukturele hindernisse in terme van gereelde gebruik van antiretrivale middels, met Cronbach alpha koëffisiënte tussen 0.87 en 0.91. Vir elke skaal is 'n algemene of hoër-orde faktor bepaal deur middel van hiërargiese transformasie wat daarop dui dat die items op elk van die skale gekenmerk is deur 'n enkele onderliggende faktor. Ons bevindinge dui daarop dat dit moontlik is om die strukturele hindernisse wat MIV individue daagliks tot ART ondervind te meet. Met die gebruik van hierdie skale sal klinici dus in staat wees om pasiënte te identifiseer wat moontlik van ART sal afwyk of die terapie sal staak met die klem op mees onstellende hindernisse.

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many HIV positive patients are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to assist in decreasing the replication of the HIV virus within the body. Adherence to this medication is important, as non- adherence can have serious repercussions. Therefore, the patients’ knowledge of ART and their disease is crucial in ensuring good adherence. A range of barriers to patient education were suspected by the researcher in this community of Delft. The high influx of patients into the clinic everyday minimized consultation time and thereby diminished the opportunity for effective patient education. Consequently, adherence to medication which is closely related to the knowledge and understanding of patients about the disease may be affected. The following research question was therefore explored: What is the knowledge of infected HIV/AIDS patients who are receiving antiretroviral treatment about HIV/AIDS and ART? The objectives set were to evaluate the patient’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS, evaluate the knowledge of ART and to determine whether there are statistical differences between the dependant and independent variables within the study. A quantitative descriptive correlational research design was applied and a convenience sample of n= 200 (8.5%) patients was selected from a population of N= 2349 at the Delft Community Health Centre. A multiple choice questionnaire comprising of mainly closed ended questions with multiple responses was used in individual interviews conducted by either the researcher or fieldworker. Reliability and validity was ensured through the consultation of experts in the fields of research methodology, statistics, HIV/AIDS and the Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University. Permission to conduct this study was granted by the Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University, the Provincial Regional Head for Primary Health Care Services, as well as the head of the Delft Community Health Centre. Data revealed that the participants were mainly female (n=145/72.5%), and the mean age was 37.5 years. Participants were mostly Xhosa speaking and literate, and the majority (n=112/56%), of the participants had a highest education level between grade 9 and grade 12. Many (n=73/36.5%) of the participants had been living with HIV for more than 5 years, but had been on ART for between 1 to 3 years. Knowledge was assessed by asking questions about various aspects of HIV and ART throughout the study. Scores for the 14 critical questions revealed that (n=0/0%) of the participants had good knowledge, (n=40/20%) of the participants had average knowledge and (n=160/80%) of the participants had poor knowledge. The average score for all participants for all 20 knowledge testing questions was (12.6/63%). The findings showed that the overall knowledge (n=160/80%) is poor. Basic terms and principles of HIV/AIDS and ART were not understood and serious misconceptions regarding the disease were revealed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Baie MIV positiewe pasiënte is op antiretrovirale terapie (ART) om te help met die vermindering van die replisering van die HIV virus in die liggaam. Gebruik van hierdie medikasie is belangrik omdat versuiming van inname ernstige gevolge kan hê. Dus, is die pasiënte se kennis van ART en hul siekte van deurslaggewende belang om volgehoue inname te verseker. ’n Reeks van hindernisse om pasiënte te onderrig, is deur die navorser in die Delftgemeenskap vermoed. Die hoë toestroming van pasiënte na die kliniek elke dag het die konsultasietyd tot die minimum beperk en daardeur die geleentheid vir effektiewe pasiëntonderrig laat verminder. Gevolglik, kan die nakoming om die medikasie te neem wat ’n noue verband toon met die kennis en begrip wat pasiënte het oor die siekte, geaffekteer word. Die volgende navorsingsvraag is gevolglik ondersoek: Wat is die kennis van geïnfekteerde HIV/VIGS pasiënte wat antiretrovirale behandeling ontvang oor HIV/VIGS en ART? Die doelwitte wat gestel is, is om die pasiënt se kennis van HIV/VIGS te evalueer, die kennis van ART te evalueer en te bepaal of daar ’n statistiese verwantskap tussen onafhanklike en afhanklike veranderlikes binne die studie is. ’n Kwantitatiewe beskrywende korrelerende navorsingsontwerp is toegepas en ’n gerieflikheidsmonster van n= 200 (8.5%) pasiënte is geselekteer uit ’n bevolking van N = 2349 by die Delftgemeenskap Gesondheidssentrum. ’n Veelkeusige vraelys wat hoofsaaklik uit geslote vrae met veelkeusige response bestaan het, is gebruik in individuele onderhoude wat deur of die navorser of veldwerker gevoer is. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is verseker deur oorlegpleging met spesialiste op die gebied van navorsingsmetodologie, statistiek, HIV/VIGS en die Gesondheidsnavorsing se Etiese Komitee van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Toestemming om die navorsing te doen, is gegee deur die Gesondheidsnavorsing se Etiese Komitee van Stellenbosch Universiteit, die Provinsiale Streekshoof vir Primêre Gesondheidsdienste, asook die hoof van die Delftgemeenskap Gesondheidssentrum. Data het bewys dat die deelnemers hoofsaaklik vroulik is (n=145/72.5%) en die gemiddelde ouderdom 37.5 jaar. Deelnemers is meestal Xhosasprekend en geletterd en die meerderheid (n=112/56%) van die deelnemers se hoogste opleidingsvlak is tussen graad 9 en graad 12. Baie (n=73/36.5%) van die deelnemers het met HIV geleef vir 5 jaar, maar was op ART vir tussen 1 tot 3 jaar. Kennis is geassesseer deur vrae te stel oor verskeie aspekte van HIV en ART dwarsdeur die ondersoek. Puntetelling vir die 14 kritiese vrae het aan die lig gebring dat (n=0/0%) van die deelnemers goeie kennis het, (n=40/20%) van die deelnemers beskik oor gemiddelde kennis en (n=160/80%) van die deelnemers se kennis is gering. Die gemiddelde puntetelling vir al die deelnemers van al 20 kennisvrae wat getoets is, is (12.6/63%). Die bevindinge bewys dat die algehele kennis (n= 160/80%) gering is. Basiese terminologie en beginsels van HIV/VIGS en ART word nie begryp nie en ernstige wanopvattinge aangaande die siekte is geopenbaar.

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Taking into consideration the long duration of standard treatment for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), the high prevalence of HIV co-infection and the growing prevalence of drug-resistant TB, there is an urgent need for improved treatment approaches for TB and HIV. However, there is inadequate information regarding the burden being placed on the Department of Health (DOH) systems by the current treatment of patients established on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) who are newly diagnosed with TB, and by their clinical management. The aim of the study was to determine what proportion of patients established on ART were newly diagnosed with TB, and what their clinical and treatment outcomes were in different public sector settings in the eThekwini Region, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Approval for the study was obtained from the Human Research Committee of Stellenbosch University and from the Biomedical Research Committee, KZN. The study used a retrospective, quantitative, cohort technique at both TB and ART clinics at three sites in the eThekwini region, KZN. These sites were DOH clinics and were selected as they all had a TB clinic and a DOH-registered ART clinic. The study focused on a period of one year prior to a patient established on ART developed TB. The study population comprised all TB patients who attended the selected DOH clinics. A data collection tool was developed and pilot-tested. A small sample of patient files (n=15, representing 2% of the study population) was randomly selected; five from each site. The files and data were excluded from the main study. A total of 1824 files (579 from the TB clinics and 1245 from the ART clinics) were reviewed. The data were captured into an electronic database (EpiData Version 3.3) and analyzed using STATA (Version 11.0) with the assistance of a statistician. The findings show that of the study sample from the TB clinics (N=579), 78% (454/579) were newly diagnosed with TB. Of the new TB cases, 90% (409/454) had pulmonary TB and 71% (413/579) were HIV-positive. Nearly 50% (68/137) of the patients had commenced ART prior to TB diagnosis and treatment, and 14% (19/137) had commenced ART after TB. Of those who commenced ART prior to TB diagnosis and treatment, 29% (20/68) had commenced ART more than three months prior to acquiring TB. The findings from the ART clinics show that of the files (N=1245) reviewed, 40% (501/1245) had TB, and of these 8% (42/501) developed TB after three months or more of ART. Missing data in the patient medical files was a major challenge. The lack of recorded data about ART in the TB clinics and about TB in the ART clinics suggests suboptimal clinical management and poor integration of HIV and TB services. It was therefore not possible to derive a combined HIV-TB outcome measure. Recommendations to promote and implement the integration of TB and HIV services included policy changes and implementation, management and practice suggestions, education and training to integrate TB/HIV services and increase research to identify gaps in clinical management and to improve integration of services. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met inagneming van die lang duur van die standaard behandeling vir Mycobacterium tuberkulose (TB), hoë voorkoms van MIV-infeksie en die groeiende voorkoms van dwelmweerstandige TB, is daar ’n dringende behoefte aan verbeterde behandelingbenaderings vir TB en MIV. Daar is egter ’n gebrek aan inligting oor die las geplaas op die Departement van Gesondheid (DvG) se stelsels deur die huidige behandeling van pasiënte op antiretrovirale terapie (ART) wat gediagnoseer is met TB en deur hul kliniese bestuur. Die doel van die studie was om vas te stel watter persentasie van pasiënte wat op ART gevestig is, wel met TB gediagnoseer is, en wat hul kliniese en behandeling-uitkomste was in verskillende openbare-sektorinstellings in die eThekwini-streek, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Goedkeuring vir die studie is verkry van die Menslike Navorsingskomitee van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch en van die Biomediese Navorsingskomitee, KZN. Die studie het gebruik gemaak van ’n retrospektiewe, kwantitatiewe ‘cohort’-tegniek by beide TB en ARB-klinieke op drie plekke in die eThekwini-streek, KZN. Hierdie terreine was DvG-klinieke en is gekies omdat hulle almal oor ’n TB-kliniek en 'n DvGgeregistreerde ART-kliniek beskik. Die studie het gefokus op ’n tydperk van een jaar voor ’n pasiënt wat op ART is, TB ontwikkel het. Die studiepopulasie bestaan uit alle TBpasiënte wat die geselekteerde DvG-klinieke bygewoon het. ’n Data-insamelinginstrument is ontwikkel en getoets. ’n Klein voorbeeld van die pasiëntlêers (n = 15, 2% van die studie bevolking verteenwoordig) is ewekansig gekies: vyf uit elke plek, en die data is vervat in ’n elektroniese databasis (EpiData Version 3,3). ’n Totaal van 1824 lêers (579 in die TB-klinieke en 1245 lêers in die ART-klinieke) is ondersoek. Die data is ontleed deur gebruik te maak van Stata (weergawe 11,0) met die hulp van ’n statistikus. Die bevindinge toon dat van die studiemonster in die TB-klinieke (N = 579), 78% (454/579) met TB gediagnoseer is. Van die nuwe TB-gevalle, het 90% (409/454) pulmonêre TB gehad en was 71% (413/579) MIV-positief. Byna 50% (68/137) van die pasiënte het ART begin vóór hulle TB-diagnose en -behandeling, en 14% (19/137) ART ná TB. Van dié wat ART voor TB-diagnose en -behandeling begin het, het 29% (20/68) meer as drie maande voor die opdoen van TB met ART begin. Die bevindinge van die ART-klinieke toon dat van die lêers (N = 1245) wat bestudeer is, 40% (501/1245) TB het, en hiervan het 8% (42/501) TB na drie of meer maande van ART ontwikkel. Ontbrekende data in die pasiënt se mediese lêers was ’n groot uitdaging. Die gebrek aan aangetekende data oor ART in die TB-klinieke en oor TB in die ART-klinieke dui op suboptimale kliniese bestuur en swak integrasie van MIV- en TB-dienste. Dit was dus nie moontlik om ’n gesamentlike MIV-TB uitkomsmaatreël af te lei nie. Aanbevelings om die integrasie van TB- en MIV-dienste te bevorder en te implementer, het beleidveranderinge en -implementering ingesluit, asook bestuur- en praktykvoorstelle, onderwys en opleiding om TB-/MIV-dienste by DvG-vlak te integreer en meer navorsing om gapings in die kliniese bestuur te identifiseer en die integrasie van dienste te verbeter.