Good Practices in the Long-Term Care of People Living with HIV Learning from Country Experiences

With the aim of focusing European thought-leadership on delivering the greatest potential impact at national level, the HIV Outcomes Steering Group ‘road-tested’ the HIV Outcomes recommendations (launched in November 2017) in Italy and Sweden in 2018 to confirm that they are fit for implementation and to demonstrate ways to overcome barriers to their adoption. The findings were summarised in a report, which was launched in the European Parliament on 27 November 2018. This report describes the approaches and challenges in implementing the recommendations, which are frequently similar in both countries.

Both Italy and Sweden have identified the requirement for an interdisciplinary, cross-functional approach to HIV care (in line with HIV Outcome Recommendation 1: ‘Adopt an integrated, outcomes-focused, and patient-centred approach to long-term care’). For example, the Italian HIV Outcomes group highlighted the need to improve the model of care through the development of multi-disciplinary networks of specialist centres.

The HIV Outcomes groups in both countries also identified Recommendation 4: ‘Combat stigma and discrimination within health systems’ as needing particular attention to improve the lives of people living with HIV. In Sweden, the HIV Outcomes group considers that a long-term programme of education and certification would reduce the HIV associated stigma among healthcare professionals. This is a particularly pressing requirement for primary care, dentistry, geriatric care and home care.

Further findings – as well as examples of existing good practices – are available in the report, which can be accessed here.

Looking at ways to apply the HIV Outcomes recommendations in real-world situations in Italy and Sweden has given vital insights into the best ways of ensuring their wider uptake. The HIV Outcomes initiative now aims to implement the relevant recommendations in Italy and Sweden and to disseminate them further afield and tailor them for implementation in additional countries during 2019.