Table 1.

Durable viral suppression classifications and presence of a distinction between underlying definition and operationalized definition of durable viral suppression in ten recent HIV-related articles.

Article	Relevant outcome of interest	Outcome classification in analysis	Durable viral suppression classification type	Viral load frequency used as a criterion for either DVS/SVS outcome determination or analytic sample inclusion?	Distinction between the definition and the operationalized version of definition used for classification?	Details of distinction if applicable
Jefferson et al. Place-based predictors of HIV viral suppression and durable suppression among heterosexuals in New York City	Durable viral suppression	Achieving the following within 12 months of HIV diagnosis: "(A) had at least two suppressed (≤200 cc/mL) viral load tests that were at least 90 days apart from one another with no intervening unsuppressed (>200 cc/mL) viral load tests, and (B) had no unsuppressed viral load tests after they had achieved durable viral suppression"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; "at least two suppressed" required to be considered durable	No
Nyaku et al. Non-persistence to antiretroviral therapy among adults receiving HIV medical care in the United States	Sustained viral suppression	"all viral loads documented in the patient’s medical record as undetectable or <200 copies/mL during the past 12 months"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; at least one viral load result required to be considered sustained	No
Chowdhury et al. Clinical outcomes of young Black men receiving HIV medical care in the United States, 2009–2014	Durable viral suppression	"all viral load measurements documented undetectable (<200 copies/mL) in the past 12 months"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; at least one viral load result required to be considered durable	No
Gulhati et al. Higher levels of angiopoietin-1 are associated with early and sustained viral suppression in children living with vertically acquired HIV	Proportion of life with sustained viral suppression (note: sample only includes children)	“the sum of all periods during which SVS was achieved in days (numerator) divided by patient age in days (denominator)”	function of sustained viral suppression defined as "repeated" measurements suppressed	Yes; sustained viral suppression ("repeated HIV RNA measurements below the limit of quantification by the clinical virology laboratory at each center (target not detected, 20, or 40 copies/mL)") required for study inclusion	No
Byrd et al. Adherence and viral suppression among participants of the Patient-centered HIV Care Model project—a collaboration between community-based pharmacists and HIV clinical providers	Sustained viral suppression	"defined as HIV viral loads <200 copies/mL at the last two test results in the 12–month measurement period"	Last two measurements suppressed	Yes; "the sustained viral suppression analysis required ≥2 viral load results" in each measurement period for inclusion in analysis	No
Enns et al. HIV Care trajectories as a novel longitudinal assessment of retention in care	Sustained viral suppression	"must have had a viral load of ≤ 200 copies/mL at least 12 months prior to their last viral load test, as well as suppressed status on any intervening viral load test results"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; results from at least two viral load tests required to be considered sustained	Yes	Methods section, Patient Outcomes; distinction between “defined” and “classified” SVS
Beattie et al. Multilevel Factors Associated with a Lack of Viral Suppression Among Persons Living with HIV in a Federally Funded Housing Program	Lack of durable viral suppression	"any HIV viral load test reported to the Registry during the observation period (12 months) being greater than 200 copies/mL"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; at least two viral load results within the 12–month observation period required for sample inclusion	No
Lemons et al. Opioid Misuse Among HIV-Positive Adults in Medical Care: Results From the Medical Monitoring Project, 2009–2014	Durable viral suppression	"all HIV viral load measurements documenting undetectable or <200 copies/mL during the 12 months preceding the interview"	All results suppressed during time period	No; however, data source used is a sample of persons in care	No
Robertson et al. Impact of an HIV Care Coordination Program on Durable Viral Suppression	Durable viral suppression	"defined DVS as regular VL monitoring and all VLs ≤200 copies per milliliter in months 13–36 of follow-up"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; at least 2 viral load results in the 2-year period to be included in analysis and regular viral load monitoring ("…having ≥1 VL in each 12-month period of follow-up and ≥90 days between the first and the last VL reported during months 13–36") required to be considered durable	No
Nwangwu-Ike et al. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Viral Suppression Among HIV-Positive Women in Care	Sustained viral suppression	"Sustained viral suppression is based on ≥1 viral load tests (ie, all viral load values, undetectable or <200 copies/mL) in medical records during the 12 months before the interview date"	All results suppressed during time period	Yes; at least one viral load result required to be considered sustained ("Sustained viral suppression is based on ≥1 viral load tests")	Yes	Methods section of abstract; a definition of SVS provided in parentheses, “sustained viral suppression (consistent viral suppression during the past 12 months)”

Abbreviations: DVS = durable viral suppression; SVS = sustained viral suppression