Factors Associated With Antiretroviral Therapy Reinitiation in Medicaid Recipients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract

Background: This study was conducted to examine patient characteristics associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) reinitiation in Medicaid enrollees.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study that uses Cox proportional hazard regression to examine the association between person-level characteristics and time from ART discontinuation to the subsequent reinitiation within 18 months.

Results: There were 45 409 patients who discontinued ART, and 44% failed to reinitiate. More outpatient visits (3+ vs 0 outpatient visits: adjusted hazard ratio (adjHR), 1.56; 99% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-1.67) and hospitalization (adjHR, 1.18; 99% CI,1.16-1.20) during follow-up were associated with reinitiation.

Conclusions: Failure to reinitiate ART within 18 months was common in this sample. Care engagement was associated with greater ART reinitiation.

Keywords: HIV; antiretroviral therapy; care engagement; reinitiation.