No abstract

In this article, we sought to understand the perceptions and practice of providers on anal cancer screening in HIV-infected patients. Providers in an academic outpatient HIV practice were surveyed. Data were analyzed to determine the acceptability and perceptions of providers on anal Papanicolaou tests. Survey response rate was 55.3% (60.7% among male and 47.4% among female providers). One-third of the providers had received screening requests from patients. Female providers had higher self-rated comfort with anal Papanicolaou tests, with a mean score of 7.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.7-9.5) compared to 3.6 (95% CI 1.5-5.7) for male providers, P = .02. Sixty-seven percent of male providers and 37.5% of female providers would like to refer their patients for screening rather than perform the test themselves. Only 54.2% of our providers have ever performed anal cytology examination. Our survey revealed that not all providers were comfortable performing anal cancer screening for their patients.

Patients with transportation costs greater than $2 were 1.9 times more likely to be lost to care compared with those who paid less for transportation. HIV treatment programs in resource-constrained settings may need to pay closer attention to issues related to transportation cost to improve patient retention.

In 2016, the World Health Organization developed a plan for viral hepatitis elimination by 2030. Globally, control of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most challenging aspects of viral hepatitis elimination. In many developed countries elimination of HBV could be targeted to special populations mostly immigrants from low resource settings. Elimination of HCV, however, remains a challenge globally. Barriers to HCV elimination include high cost of medications and the ability to engage specific at-risk populations as well as individuals who are out of medical care. In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, treatment access and screening have been further negatively impacted by social distancing rules and COVID-19-related anxieties. This threatens to throw most countries off course in their elimination efforts. Before the pandemic, some states in the United States had scaled up their elimination efforts with plans to ramp up testing and treatment using Netflix-like payment models for HCV direct acting antiviral drugs. Most of these efforts have stalled on account of the health system's focus on COVID-19 control. To prevent further delays in achieving elimination targets, programs would need to explore new models of care that address COVID-19-related access hurdles. Systems that leverage technologies such as telemedicine and selftesting could help maintain treatment levels. Mathematical models estimate that COVID-19-related delays in 2020 could lead to 44,800 hepatocellular cancers and 72,300 liver-related deaths for the next decade.

People living with HIV are at high risk for anal cancer (AC); however, the impact of screening for and treatment of precancerous anal lesions on AC incidence remains uncertain. In 2013, we conducted a survey of HIV providers evaluating the perceived need for an institutional AC screening program. Based on an overwhelmingly positive response, we established a dedicated AC screening clinic (including provision of high-resolution anoscopies) embedded within the institutional HIV clinic. Here, we describe that referral of high-risk patients in the first 3 years was lower than expected. Referral patterns suggest that screening practices vary widely among HIV providers within the institution. Anal cancer clinic patients who completed a perception survey rated the value of AC screening as high, with perceived positive health impact, and identified their providers as the main source of information on AC and AC screening. Our findings imply remaining provider-related barriers to AC screening.