Developing a matrix to identify and prioritise research recommendations in HIV prevention

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• HIV prevention remains a global challenge, necessitating targeted, evidence-based initiatives.
• The UK Department of Health emphasizes prevention within its World Class Commissioning Programme.
• There is a critical need to identify and address gaps in contemporary HIV prevention evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative evidence mapping tool (matrix) for HIV prevention.
• To identify critical gaps in current HIV prevention research relevant to the UK.
• To inform future research prioritization in HIV prevention.

Main Methods:

• A matrix tool was created using expert-defined categories for prevention and risk groups.
• Systematic literature searches were conducted for primary and secondary research (2006-2009) in key English-speaking countries.
• Publications were screened, coded for risk groups and prevention areas, and data mapped onto the matrix.

Main Results:

• 716 studies (systematic reviews, RCTs, primary research) met inclusion criteria.
• The evidence mapping matrix visually identified concentrations and significant gaps in HIV prevention literature.
• Several under-researched areas within HIV prevention were highlighted by the matrix.

Conclusions:

• The study introduces the first categorization system and matrix tool for HIV prevention evidence mapping.
• Key under-researched areas include identifying the undiagnosed population, international adaptation, and specific demographics (transgender, sex-workers, heterosexuals, older adults).
• The findings provide a foundation for prioritizing future research to strengthen HIV prevention efforts.