Table 1. Clisssent and referral facility characteristics, by study-gender group.
| Characteristic | SHIMS Female (N = 494) | SHIMS Male (N = 294) | SOKA Male (N = 317) | All Clients (N = 1105) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at diagnosis, median (Q1–Q3) | 26 (22–33) | 32 (27–38) | 29 (25–35) | 29 (24–35) |
| Age at diagnosis (years) | ||||
| <25 | 204 (41.3%) | 37 (12.6%) | 58 (18.3%) | 299 (27.1%) |
| 25–29 | 122 (24.7%) | 72 (24.5%) | 105 (33.1%) | 299 (27.1%) |
| 30–35 | 81 (16.4%) | 84 (28.6%) | 87 (27.4%) | 252 (22.8%) |
| >35 | 87 (17.6%) | 101 (34.4%) | 67 (21.1%) | 255 (23.1%) |
| Region of referral facility | ||||
| Hhohho | 148 (30.0%) | 101 (34.4%) | 102 (32.2%) | 351 (31.8%) |
| Lubombo | 83 (16.8%) | 51 (17.3%) | 38 (12.0%) | 172 (15.6%) |
| Manzini | 135 (27.3%) | 81 (27.6%) | 126 (39.7%) | 342 (31.0%) |
| Shiselweni | 128 (25.9%) | 61 (20.7%) | 51 (16.1%) | 240 (21.7%) |
| Type of referral facility | ||||
| Government (non-military) | 369 (74.7%) | 231 (78.6%) | 189 (59.6%) | 789 (71.4%) |
| Faith-based | 91 (18.4%) | 39 (13.3%) | 23 (7.3%) | 153 (13.8%) |
| Private | 24 (4.9%) | 15 (5.1%) | 46 (14.5%) | 85 (7.7%) |
| Non-governmental Organization | 8 (1.6%) | 4 (1.4%) | 46 (14.5%) | 58 (5.2%) |
| Military | 2 (0.4%) | 5 (1.7%) | 13 (4.1%) | 20 (1.8%) |
| Class of referral facility | ||||
| Hospital | 166 (33.6%) | 109 (37.1%) | 105 (33.1%) | 380 (34.4%) |
| Health Center | 92 (18.6%) | 43 (14.6%) | 36 (11.4%) | 171 (15.5%) |
| Clinic | 227 (46.0%) | 137 (46.6%) | 160 (50.5%) | 524 (47.4%) |
| Public Health Unit | 9 (1.8%) | 5 (1.7%) | 16 (5.0%) | 30 (2.7%) |
| Location of referral facility | ||||
| Urban | 176 (35.6%) | 110 (37.4%) | 188 (59.3%) | 474 (42.9%) |
| Peri-urban | 66 (13.4%) | 56 (19.0%) | 45 (14.2%) | 167 (15.1%) |
| Rural | 252 (51.0%) | 128 (43.5%) | 84 (26.5%) | 464 (42.0%) |
| Referral facility on a paved road | 370 (74.9%) | 217 (73.8%) | 292 (92.1%) | 879 (79.5%) |
| Days per week HIV services provided | ||||
| Monday–Friday | 353 (71.5%) | 217 (73.8%) | 232 (73.2%) | 802 (72.6%) |
| Monday–Saturday | 90 (18.2%) | 45 (15.3%) | 61 (19.2%) | 196 (17.7%) |
| Monday–Sunday | 51 (10.3%) | 32 (10.9%) | 24 (7.6%) | 107 (9.7%) |
| Change in days per week facility is open since March 2011 | ||||
| Increase | 137 (27.7%) | 96 (32.7%) | 119 (37.5%) | 352 (31.9%) |
| Decrease | 31 (6.3%) | 28 (9.5%) | 26 (8.2%) | 85 (7.7%) |
| No change | 326 (66.0%) | 170 (57.8%) | 172 (54.3%) | 668 (60.5%) |
| Providers per HIV-clinic day, median(Q1–Q3) | ||||
| Doctors | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) |
| Nurses | 4 (2–6) | 5 (2–6) | 6 (4–8) | 5 (2–6) |
| Counselors | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) |
| Lay Counselors | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) |
| Expert Clients | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | 2 (1–3) | 2 (2–3) |
| All cadres combined | 8 (6–13) | 9 (6–13) | 10 (6–13) | 9 (6–13) |
| ART initiated at referral facilitya | 487 (98.6%) | 289 (98.3%) | 314 (99.1%) | 1090 (98.6%) |
| ART refills provided at referral facility | 494 (100%) | 294 (100%) | 317 (100%) | 1105 (100%) |
| Providers who initiate ART | ||||
| Doctor only | 57 (11.5%) | 29 (9.9%) | 25 (7.9%) | 111 (10.0%) |
| Nurse only | 153 (31.0%) | 97 (33.0%) | 94 (29.7%) | 344 (31.1%) |
| Doctor and Nurse | 277 (56.1%) | 163 (55.4%) | 195 (61.5%) | 635 (57.5%) |
| N/A | 7 (1.4%) | 5 (1.7%) | 3 (0.9%) | 15 (1.4%) |
| Phone available to implement Linkage SOPb | 465 (94.1%) | 279 (94.9%) | 312 (98.4%) | 1056 (95.6%) |
| Monthly credit available to implement Linkage SOP, median (Q1–Q3) | SZL 150 (150–200) | SZL 150 (150–200) | SZL 150 (150–300) | SZL 150 (150–200) |
| Staff responsible for calling defaultersc | ||||
| Doctors | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Nurses | 239 (48.4%) | 141 (48.0%) | 200 (63.1%) | 580 (52.5%) |
| Counselors | 8 (1.6%) | 12 (4.1%) | 13 (4.1%) | 33 (3.0%) |
| Lay Counselor/EC | 321 (65.0%) | 194 (66.0%) | 188 (59.3%) | 703 (63.6%) |
aAt the time of this study, Swaziland national treatment guidelines recommended ART initiation at CD4 < 350 cells/μl.
bPatient linkage, retention, and follow-up in HIV care standard operating procedures, Swaziland National AIDS Programme, 2012.
cMore than one cadre could be responsible for calling clients who defaulted from their first or subsequent appointment to the HIV facility, in accordance with the Linkage SOP.