Patrick-Murray Administration Releases Comprehensive Survey on Quality of Care for HIV-Positive Residents in Massachusetts
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Consumer Study: June 2011
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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) today released the results of a joint survey of more than 1,700 HIV-positive people in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that demonstrates the benefits of state and federal investment in HIV care. The report was released today at a State House event in honor of World AIDS Day.
The final report, Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire HIV/AIDS Consumer Study, shows that nearly every survey participant reported being in HIV medical care, and almost three-quarters reported that their viral load was undetectable — a measure of the effectiveness of anti-HIV treatments. In contrast, fewer than 20% of HIV-positive people in a recent nationwide survey reported having undetectable viral loads.
“It is vitally important that all people who are HIV-positive have access to life-saving medications,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby. “The results of this study are a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our partners in public health, health care, hospitals and community health centers in communities across Massachusetts.”
The survey results also attested to the excellent medical care persons with HIV receive in Boston and Massachusetts. Survey participants overwhelmingly reported that they were pleased with the quality of their health care; 94% said their health care provider treats them with respect, and nearly 90% said they got the help they needed linking to specialty care.
The study collected short surveys from over 1,700 individuals, who were then invited to provide more detailed information to researchers. Their responses showed that over three-quarters had entered medical care within six months of learning their HIV status.
“By working together with the medical community, the city of Boston and our state partners have created a highly effective response to the HIV epidemic, indicated both in the survey results and in the rapidly dropping rates of new infections that we’re seeing,” said BPHC Executive Director Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, M.Ed.
New infections in Massachusetts have been reduced from over 1,200 per year in 2000, to around 600 per year in 2010, according to the latest HIV surveillance data. Recent studies have shown that effectively treating persons with HIV infection dramatically reduces transmission of the virus to their partners.
The study also highlighted ongoing challenges facing persons with HIV/AIDS. More than half of respondents reported that anti-HIV stigma is still an issue, saying that they worry that people who know their HIV status will tell others and that most people are uncomfortable around someone with has HIV. Nearly half of the study participants said that they work hard to keep their HIV a secret from others.
“While people with HIV are living longer and healthier, they continue to face discrimination and fear in their daily lives, which threatens their ability to stay well,” said DPH Commissioner John Auerbach. “It’s important that we continue to work together in our communities to erase this stigma for HIV-positive residents and their families.”
The survey was distributed in English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, and Portuguese, and strategies were implemented to engage hard-to-reach populations, such as people who are homeless and individuals not in care. Survey content addressed a range of issues including connection to health services, service gaps, barriers to care, and stigma in addition to detailed questions about care patterns, co-morbidities, mental health, substance use, disability, aging, and employment.
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