Impact of age and comorbidities on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced T cell immunity.

Background: Older age and chronic disease are important risk factors for developing severe COVID-19. At population level, vaccine-induced immunity substantially reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 disease and hospitalization. However, the relative impact of humoral and cellular immunity on protection from breakthrough infection and severe disease is not fully understood.

National medical specialty guidelines of HIV indicator conditions in Europe lack adequate HIV testing recommendations: a systematic guideline review.

BackgroundAdequate identification and testing of people at risk for HIV is fundamental for the HIV care continuum. A key strategy to improve timely testing is HIV indicator condition (IC) guided testing.AimTo evaluate the uptake of HIV testing recommendations in HIV IC-specific guidelines in European countries.

HIV seroprevalence in five key populations in Europe: a systematic literature review, 2009 to 2019.

BackgroundIn Europe, HIV disproportionately affects men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), prisoners, sex workers, and transgender people. Epidemiological data are primarily available from national HIV case surveillance systems that rarely capture information on sex work, gender identity or imprisonment. Surveillance of HIV prevalence in key populations often occurs as independent studies with no established mechanism for collating such information at the European level.

National multi-stakeholder meetings: a tool to support development of integrated policies and practices for testing and prevention of HIV, viral hepatitis, TB and STIs.

Background: Country level policies and practices of testing and care for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections are lagging behind European recommendations on integration across diseases. Building on previous experiences and evidence, the INTEGRATE Joint Action arranged four national stakeholder meetings. The aim was to foster cross-disciplinary and cross-disease collaborations at national level as a vehicle for strengthened integration of testing and care services.

Defining linkage to care following human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis for public health monitoring in Europe.

Prompt linkage to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care after diagnosis is crucial to ensure optimal patient outcomes. However, few countries monitor this important public health marker and different definitions have been applied, making country and study comparisons difficult. This article presents an expert-agreed, standard definition of linkage to care for a pragmatic approach to public health monitoring, appropriate to the European context.

HIV testing in Europe: Evaluating the impact, added value, relevance and usability of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)'s 2010 HIV testing guidance.

Background: An evaluation of the 2010 ECDC guidance on HIV testing, conducted in October 2015-January 2016, assessed its impact, added value, relevance and usability and the need for updated guidance.

Methods: Data sources were two surveys: one for the primary target audience (health policymakers and decision makers, national programme managers and ECDC official contact points in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries and one for a broader target audience (clinicians, civil society organisations and international public health agencies); two moderated focus group discussions  (17 participants each); webpage access data; a literature citation review; and an expert consultation (18 participants) to discuss the evaluation findings.

Results: Twenty-three of 28 primary target audience and 31 of 51 broader target audience respondents indicated the guidance was the most relevant when compared with other international guidance.

[Case managers experience improved trajectories for cancer patients after implementation of the case manager function].

Case managers are increasingly used to optimize trajectories for patients. This study is based on a questionnaire among case managers in cancer care, aiming at the clarification of the func­tion and its impact on especially patient safety, when handing over the responsibility. The results show a major variation in how the function is organized, the level of competence and the task to be handled.

[Case managers experience improved trajectories for cancer patients after implementation of the case manager function].

Case managers are increasingly used to optimize trajectories for patients. This study is based on a questionnaire among case managers in cancer care, aiming at the clarification of the function and its impact on especially patient safety, when handing over the responsibility. The results show a major variation in how the function is organized, the level of competence and the task to be handled.

[Case study shows that the case manager function for cancer patients is used unevenly across the different cancer forms].

This case study of the obligatory case manager function for cancer patients explores by whom and for what the function is used. It draws on quantitative data from a database, focus group interviews with case managers at Rigshospitalet and telephone interviews with patients and relatives. The conclusion is that across the different cancer forms patients are using the function unevenly.