Skip to main content

Table 2 Primary and secondary outcomes

From: Impact of early initiation versus national standard of care of antiretroviral therapy in Swaziland’s public sector health system: study protocol for a stepped-wedge randomized trial

Primary outcomes

Definition

Retention

Alive and in care at each 12-month time point following enrollment

Viral suppression

The proportion of individuals alive and in care whose viral load is below 1000 copies/mL (virally suppressed) after six months on treatment

Secondary outcomes

Definition

Retention

At each six-month time point following enrollment

Viral suppression

At each six-month time point following enrollment

Mortality

At each six-month time point following enrollment

Visit adherence among those initiated on ART

Proportion of missed visits as a number of scheduled appointments among ART-ineligible patients by end of follow-up

Drug resistance

Proportion of drug resistance among ART-ineligible patients with two virological failures who have received genotype resistance testing

Tuberculosis

Proportion of ART-ineligible patients diagnosed with tuberculosis following enrolment (recurrent and new incident)

ART uptake among those who are eligible

Proportion of HIV-positive individuals who are eligible for initiation who are successfully initiated to ART within on the day of, within two weeks, and one and three months of becoming eligible

Cost per patient per year

Average public and private healthcare expenditures per patient

Patient satisfaction

Average patient satisfaction

Provider satisfaction

Average job satisfaction among the professionals providing HIV treatment

Patients’ employment, income, and education

Average patients’ employment, income, and educational attainment