Building health IT capacity to improve HIV infection health outcomes

Eighty-six percent of those engaged in HIV medical care in Massachusetts achieved viral suppression, making Massachusetts's long-term goal of eliminating new infections of HIV a real possibility. In order to achieve this goal, Massachusetts is working to engage all individuals living with HIV/AIDS in HIV medical care, keep them retained in care, and render their viral load non-detectable. Currently, in Massachusetts, the data elements necessary to monitor the HIV care continuum are documented in siloed health information systems that do not communicate with each other. Massachusetts has engaged in a pilot project to enhance their health information technology (IT) capacity to monitor the HIV care continuum and identify gaps in care. Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network (MAVEN) will be enhanced to perform as a consolidated electronic system to document and triage clinic-, laboratory-, and patient-level surveillance, field epidemiology and HIV care continuum data. The consolidation will enhance identification of patients infected with HIV and provide timely, actionable data for engagement and retention in HIV medical care.