Point-of-care HIV viral load testing combined with task shifting can improve viral suppression and retention in care by up to 14% and enable rapid care decisions, suggest results of a clinical trial led by the University of Washington and the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA).

The trial took place at a large public clinic in Durban, South Africa, and involved 390 HIV-positive adults who were receiving their first routine viral load test after beginning antiretroviral therapy (ART) six months prior. Results were published Feb. 10 in The Lancet HIV.

“This is the first randomized trial to demonstrate an impact for improving viral suppression of HIV,” said lead author Paul Drain, an assistant professor in the Department of Global Health.

Read the entire story at UW School of Public Health, and the journal article at The Lancet. Paul Drain, Ruanne Barnabas, and Connie Celum are authors.