Process monitoring of an HIV treatment as prevention program in British Columbia, Canada.

Background: In light of accumulated scientific evidence of the secondary preventive benefits of antiretroviral therapy, a growing number of jurisdictions worldwide have formally started to implement HIV Treatment as Prevention (TasP) programs. To date, no gold standard for TasP program monitoring has been described. Here, we describe the design and methods applied to TasP program process monitoring in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Cohort profile: Seek and treat for the optimal prevention of HIV/AIDS in British Columbia (STOP HIV/AIDS BC).

The Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention of HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS) cohort is a census of all identified HIV-positive individuals in the province of British Columbia. It was formed through the linkage of nine provincial treatment, surveillance and administrative databases. This open cohort allows for bidirectional analyses from 1996 onward and is refreshed annually.

Fertility intentions of women of reproductive age living with HIV in British Columbia, Canada.

Background: We undertook a study to examine the fertility intentions and reproductive health issues of women living with HIV in a broad-based sample in British Columbia, Canada.

Methods: Between November 2003 and December 2004, we invited women with HIV at all HIV clinics and AIDS service organizations in the province of British Columbia, Canada, to complete the survey instrument 'Contraceptive Decisions of HIV-positive Women'. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to calculate adjusted odds ratios to identify factors that may be significant predictors of the intention of women living with HIV to have children.

An Australian comparison of specialist care of acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: To determine whether patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an Australian setting receive better pharmacological care if managed by cardiologists than by non-cardiologists.

Design: Retrospective chart review of patients hospitalized between 1 January 1997 and 30 June 1998, undertaken by abstractors blind to study objectives.

Setting: One tertiary and two community hospitals in south-east Queensland, Australia, in which all patients admitted with AMI were cared for by cardiologists and general physicians, respectively.