Is co-location of services with HIV care associated with improved HIV care outcomes? A systematic review

This systematic review identifies models of service co-location, a structural intervention strategy to remove barriers to HIV care and services, and examines their associations with HIV care outcomes. A cumulative database (e.g., MEDLINE, EMBASE) of HIV, AIDS, and STI literature was systematically searched and manual searches were conducted to identify relevant studies. Thirty-six studies were classified into six models of co-location: HIV care co-located with multiple ancillary services, tuberculosis (TB) care, non-HIV specific primary care, drug abuse treatment, prevention of mother to child transmission programs (PMTCT), and mental health care. More evidence of a positive association was seen for linkage to care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake than for retention and viral suppression. Models of co-location that addressed HIV and non-HIV medical care issues (i.e., co-location with non-HIV specific primary care, PMTCT, and TB) had more positive associations, particularly for linkage to care and ART uptake, than other co-location models. While some findings are encouraging, more research with rigorous study designs is needed to strengthen the evaluation of, and evidence for, service co-location.