Jail-Based Case Management Improves Retention in HIV Care 12 Months Post Release

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Continuous HIV care is crucial for effective treatment and outcomes.
• A significant number of people with HIV cycle through correctional facilities annually.
• Jail detainees often lack access to discharge planning and continuity of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term (12-month) effectiveness of jail-based HIV case management on care retention.
• To assess the impact of linking jail detainees to community-based HIV services.

Main Methods:

• Extended follow-up to 12 months at one site from the EnhanceLink initiative.
• Compared retention in HIV care for individuals linked to community case managers versus those not.
• Utilized statistical analysis, including odds ratios, to determine significance.

Main Results:

• Jail-based case management linked to high initial linkage rates to community HIV care.
• Clients linked to a Ryan White community case manager were over nine times more likely to be retained in care at 12 months post-release (OR 9.39).

Conclusions:

• Jail-based HIV case management and linkage to community services are critical for sustained HIV care.
• This intervention significantly improves long-term retention in HIV care for justice-involved populations.