Washington, D.C., HIV/AIDS Clinic Conducting Clinical Trial Aimed at Improving Care

Officials at the Washington, D.C.-based Whitman-Walker Clinic are conducting a five-year clinical trial aimed at eliminating "barriers to care," including substance abuse, mental health issues and unemployment, the Washington Post reports. Clients of the clinic -- which provides HIV/AIDS testing and related health services and serves 7,000 mostly low-income HIV-positive area residents -- are missing their appointments with "disturbing frequency," according to the Post. In the trial -- which is being led by Michael Relf, a nursing professor at Georgetown University, and funded by HHS -- more than 100 clients at two of WWC's branches are paired with "retention care coordinators," who give patients appointment reminders, provide them with transportation and help them find their way through the health care system, the Post reports. Clients with care coordinators have missed appointments 16% of the time, while 25% of patients without care coordinators have missed appointments, according to the Post. Relf and the coordinators said some clients "just need help and encouragement to stay in treatment," the Post reports (Ukman, Washington Post, 5/30).

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