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Table 1 Operational definitions of the variables related to retention in care

From: How to improve patient retention in an antiretroviral treatment program in Ethiopia: a mixed-methods study

Variables

Definition

Numerator

Denominator

Retention

All patients who are not registered as deceased or LTFU for any reason

Number of patients alive and on ART

Number of patients alive and on ART plus death plus LTFU

Loss to follow-up

Patients who miss scheduled visits to the clinic for more than three months after the last visit

Not applicable (NA)

NA

Transfer out

It refers to the official transfer of the patient to another clinic

NA

NA

Transfer in

It refers to the official transfer of the patient from another clinic

NA

NA

Cumulative retention

The total retention by the end of the calendar among patients ever started on ART

Number of patients alive and on ART by the end of the calendar

The total number of patients ever started on ART

Current retention

The retention rate during a specific “calendar” among patients who were on ART sometime during the “calendar”

Number of patients alive and on ART by the end of the “calendar”

Number of patients alive and on ART by the end of the calendar plus number of patients who died plus LTFU during the “calendar”

Calendar

The time during which the level of the “current retention” is estimated

NA

NA