The impact of an HIV/AIDS adult integrated health program on leaving hospital against medical advice among HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs

作者：Ti Lianping; Milloy M J; Turje Rosalind Baltzer; Montaner Julio; Wood Evan; Kerr Thomas^*

来源：Journal of Public Health, 2017, 39(2): E33-E39.

DOI：10.1093/pubmed/fdw057

• hospital
• discharge against medical advice
• HIV
• people who use illicit drugs

Leaving hospital against medical advice (AMA) is a major source of avoidable morbidity, mortality and healthcare expenditure. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an innovative HIV/AIDS adult integrated health program on leaving hospital AMA among HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs (PWUD).
Using generalized estimating equations, we examined the relationship between being a participant of the Dr. Peter Centre (DPC), a specialty HIV/AIDS-focused adult integrated health program, and leaving hospital AMA among a cohort of HIV-positive PWUD patients.
Between July 2005 and July 2011, 181 HIV-positive PWUD who experienced a parts per thousand<yen>1 hospitalization were recruited into the study. Of the 406 hospital admissions among these individuals, 73 (39.9%) participants left the hospital AMA. In a multivariable model adjusted for confounders, being a participant of the DPC was independently associated with lower odds of leaving hospital AMA (adjusted odds ratio = 0.42; 95% confidence interval: 0.19-0.89).
Our findings suggest that the provision of a broad range of clinical, harm reduction and support services through an innovative HIV/AIDS-focused adult integrated health program operating in proximity to a hospital may curb the rate at which individuals leave hospital prematurely.

• 出版日期2017-6