TY - JOUR
T1 - Strengthening HIV and HIV co-morbidity care in low- and middle-income countries
T2 - insights from behavioural economics to improve healthcare worker behaviour
AU - Mishra, Anant
AU - Mabuto, Tonderai
AU - Shearer, Kate
AU - Trujillo, Antonio
AU - Golub, Jonathan E.
AU - Hoffmann, Christopher J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research reported in this publication was supported by R01AI150432 (CJH) from the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International AIDS Society.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - Introduction: Despite advances in HIV and HIV co-morbidity service delivery, substantial challenges remain in translating evidence-based interventions into routine practice to bring optimal care and prevention to all populations. While barriers to successful implementation are often multifactorial, healthcare worker behaviour is critical for on-the-ground and in-clinic service delivery. Implementation science offers a systematic approach to understanding service delivery, including approaches to overcoming delivery gaps. Behavioural economics is a field that seeks to understand when and how behaviour deviates from traditional models of decision-making, deviations which are described as biases. Clinical policies and implementation strategies that incorporate an understanding of behavioural economics can add to implementation science approaches and play an important role in bridging the gap between healthcare worker knowledge and service delivery. Discussion: In HIV care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), potential behavioural economic strategies that may be utilized alone or in conjunction with more traditional approaches include using choice architecture to exploit status quo bias and reduce the effects of cognitive load, overcoming the impact of anchoring and availability bias through tailored clinical training and clinical mentoring, reducing the effects of present bias by changing the cost–benefit calculus of interventions with few short-term benefits and leveraging social norms through peer comparison. As with any implementation strategy, understanding the local context and catalysts of behaviour is crucial for success. Conclusions: As the focus of HIV care shifts beyond the goal of initiating patients on antiretroviral therapy to a more general retention in high-quality care to support longevity and quality of life, there is an increasing need for innovation to achieve improved care delivery and management. Clinical policies and implementation strategies that incorporate elements of behavioural economic theory, alongside local testing and adaptation, may increase the delivery of evidence-based interventions and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV in LMIC settings.
AB - Introduction: Despite advances in HIV and HIV co-morbidity service delivery, substantial challenges remain in translating evidence-based interventions into routine practice to bring optimal care and prevention to all populations. While barriers to successful implementation are often multifactorial, healthcare worker behaviour is critical for on-the-ground and in-clinic service delivery. Implementation science offers a systematic approach to understanding service delivery, including approaches to overcoming delivery gaps. Behavioural economics is a field that seeks to understand when and how behaviour deviates from traditional models of decision-making, deviations which are described as biases. Clinical policies and implementation strategies that incorporate an understanding of behavioural economics can add to implementation science approaches and play an important role in bridging the gap between healthcare worker knowledge and service delivery. Discussion: In HIV care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), potential behavioural economic strategies that may be utilized alone or in conjunction with more traditional approaches include using choice architecture to exploit status quo bias and reduce the effects of cognitive load, overcoming the impact of anchoring and availability bias through tailored clinical training and clinical mentoring, reducing the effects of present bias by changing the cost–benefit calculus of interventions with few short-term benefits and leveraging social norms through peer comparison. As with any implementation strategy, understanding the local context and catalysts of behaviour is crucial for success. Conclusions: As the focus of HIV care shifts beyond the goal of initiating patients on antiretroviral therapy to a more general retention in high-quality care to support longevity and quality of life, there is an increasing need for innovation to achieve improved care delivery and management. Clinical policies and implementation strategies that incorporate elements of behavioural economic theory, alongside local testing and adaptation, may increase the delivery of evidence-based interventions and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV in LMIC settings.
KW - HIV/AIDS
KW - LMICs
KW - behavioural economics
KW - care delivery
KW - healthcare worker behaviour
KW - implementation science
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U2 - 10.1002/jia2.26074
DO - 10.1002/jia2.26074
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 37012895
AN - SCOPUS:85151670510
SN - 1758-2652
VL - 26
JO - Journal of the International AIDS Society
JF - Journal of the International AIDS Society
IS - 4
M1 - e26074
ER -