Overview
The goal of the DC Cohort is to establish a clinic-based city-wide longitudinal cohort that will describe clinical outcomes, and improve the quality of care for outpatients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Washington, DC.
Description
All major community and academic clinics treating HIV-infected persons in the District of Columbia (DC) will initially be included in the development of a city-wide "DC Cohort" of HIV-infected persons in care, with consideration to be given subsequently to the inclusion of large private physician practices. Socio-demographics, risk factors, treatments, diagnoses, labs and procedures documented in outpatient medical record systems will be included in the DC Cohort database. Routine reports will be generated every six months for sites comparing their participants' socio-demographics, clinical status, treatments, and outcomes to all other data in the DC Cohort database, and other comparisons specifically requested by sites. All sites will be provided analytic support in research areas of interest.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patient is receiving care for HIV at one or more of the twelve participating clinics in the DC Cohort.
- Patient is either age 18 years or older, or seeks HIV care independently and is able to understand and sign informed consent.
- Patient is a minor who is consented by a parent or legal guardian.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patient is unable or refuses to provide informed consent.
- Minor children ages 12 through 17 who are unaware of their HIV status