DER Reference Model Version 1.0.0
ecqm.measure

CMS349v1 - HIV Screening

Rationale:

HIV Screening. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a communicable infection that leads to a progressive disease with a long asymptomatic period. Approximately 50,000 persons in the United States are newly infected with HIV each year (Prejean 2011). Without treatment, most persons develop acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) within 10 years of HIV infection. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) delays this progression and increases the length of survival, but it is most effective when initiated during the asymptomatic phase. It is estimated that on average an HIV-infected person aged 25 years who receives high quality health care will live an additional 39 years (Lohse 2007). DHHS Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents recommends antiretroviral therapy for all HIV-infected individuals to reduce the risk of disease progression (regardless of CD4 cell count at diagnosis) (Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, 2017). CDC estimates that almost 16% of the 1.1 million adults and adolescents living with HIV infection in the United States are unaware of their infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013). Among persons diagnosed with HIV in 2011, one quarter were diagnosed with Stage 3 HIV (AIDS) at the time of HIV diagnosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). Median CD4 count at diagnosis is less than 350 cells/mm3 (Althoff 2010). HIV screening identifies infected persons who were previously unaware of their infection, which enables them to seek medical and social services that can improve their health and the quality and length of their lives. Additionally, using ART with high levels of medication adherence has been shown to substantially reduce risk for HIV transmission (Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, 2017). Based on the National Health Interview Survey, fewer than half of persons 18 and older reported ever having been tested for HIV as of 2010 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014).