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Table 4 Comparison of implementation status of interventions for retention in care in health facilities with relatively higher and lower levels of retention in care, 2010

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

Level of retention

Retention in care promoting activities by health facility and community-based organizations

Coordination

Patient information system

Higher level of retention

Consider adherence and retention as the responsibility of each and every cadre involved in the care of patients

Assign a coordinator called ‘case manager’ responsible for the holistic care of patients

Assign data clerks that work on the patient information

Have both electronic and paper-based patient information system that coordinates, updates and shares patient information regularly with stakeholders

Have a mechanism for the coordination and linkage of services

Provide patient tailored adherence and retention-related services

Conduct multi-disciplinary team meetings regularly

Have strong and coordinated defaulter tracing and outreach services

Conduct catchment area meetings regularly

Provide patient tailored and coordinated care and support services

Have community-based organizations that provide counseling, care and support services

Lower level of retention

Adherence and retention is rarely or not at all considered as the business of each and every cadre involved in the care of patients

There is no focal person for the coordination of the holistic care of patients

No dedicated data clerks that work on the patient information

There is poor documentation of the patient information

There is no mechanism for the coordination and linkage of services

The patient information is not updated and shared regularly with stakeholders

There is weak patient tailored adherence and retention-related services

There is weak or no multi-disciplinary team meetings conducted regularly

There is weak and uncoordinated defaulter tracing and outreach services

There are weak or no catchment area meetings conducted regularly

There are few or no community-based organizations that provide counseling, care and support services