Lessons Learned: A Qualitative Study of Integrated Care for HIV-Infected Injecting Drug Users in Lviv, Ukraine Pages 1-6

Allyson Garcia1, Mariya Bachmaha2, Nickolas Zaller3, Natasha Rybak4, Marta Vasylyev5, Yuri Dasho5, Timothy Flanigan4and Maryana Sluzhynska5

1The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; 2Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; 3Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA; 4Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island and The Miriam Hospitals, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; 5The Lviv Regional AIDS Center, Lviv, Ukraine

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12970/2309-0529.2015.03.01.1

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Abstract: Of an estimated 170,000 individuals in Ukraine living with HIV, approximately 60% are injecting drug users (IDUs). Despite demonstrated need for increased access to both antiretroviral therapy (ART) and opioid substitution therapy (OST) in Ukraine, integrated, comprehensive care for HIV-infected IDUs remains limited. For this study, semi-structured interviews with 15 healthcare staff were conducted at the Lviv Regional AIDS Center. These interviews explored the perspectives of the AIDS Center’s integrated ART and OST program staff on patient care-seeking behavior as well as potential barriers to treatment for HIV-infected IDUs. Findings from this single-site, qualitative study highlight themes such as adherence, the value of support services, and the continued discrimination of IDUs by local community members. This study offers useful insights from healthcare providers on the efficacy of co-located care for HIV-infected IDUs in Lviv, as well as valuable suggestions for improving services for this patient population.

Keywords: Ukraine, HIV/AIDS, Injecting Drug Users, Opioid Substitution Therapy, Co-Located Care. Read more