The Surveillance of HIV/AIDS Related Events Among Persons Not Receiving Care project is a supplemental surveillance activity that will collect data about persons infected with HIV who are not receiving care. The data to be collected will provide information on the local need for care, barriers to receiving care, and local support services. This information will be critical for informing local planning groups, including the New York City Planning Council, who is responsible for the determining the appropriate allocation of RyanWhite CARE Act funds. The information gathered will also benefit local evaluation of programs focusing on linkage to care. The goal of the Surveillance of HIV/AIDS Related Events Among Persons Not Receiving Care project is to develop a supplemental HIV/AID surveillance system to identify persons who have a diagnosis of HIV infection and who are not receiving care. Specifically, in collaboration with the CDC, NYC DOHMH will: Identify persons residing in New York City who have a diagnosis of HIV, but who are not receiving care. Ascertain barriers to receiving care through a patient interview. Determine the clinical status of persons who have a diagnosis of HIV infection, but who are not receiving care, to estimate the added resources that would be required when these individuals are linked to care. These goals will be accomplished by locating and recruiting HIV-infected persons not receiving care. After consent has been obtained eligible participants will be administered a standardized questionnaire by trained interview staff. Blood specimens will also be collected for further laboratory testing to include CD4count, HIV viral load, and resistance testing.
