The REACH study aimed at exploring, describing, and understanding outpatient care adherence in people living with HIV. The study developed a “retention risk tool” to identify those at risk of disengaging from care.
Conducted in the U.K., results of the REACH study were published last March in Health Services and Delivery Research. Quantitative and qualitative data showed that a range of psychological, social and economic issues were associated with disengagement from care. The authors, which include IBTN Core member Dr. Susan Michie (University College London), propose that future research is needed to validate the retention risk tool across populations and settings.