TABLE 5.

Improvements in Early Infant Diagnosis, Timely Return of Test Results, and Antiretroviral Initiation From Baseline to Endline After Implementing a Quality Improvement Collaborative Approach, Zambia

IndicatorsBaseline
Jan. 2016–Dec. 2016
Implementation
Mar. 2017–May 2018
Endline
Mar. 2018–May 2018
Change
Base to End
EID testingHEIs who received EID DBS at <8 weeks of age, %77848912
HEIs who received EID DBS at >8 weeks of age, %
Return of test resultsHEIs tested who were identified as infected, %332−1
HEIs identified as infected who received their results, %44867935
Mean time between positive EID DBS result and initiating ART, days48149−39
ART initiationHIV-infected infants initiated on ART, %44838036
HIV-infected infants initiated on ART the same day positive test were received, %121811−1
HIV-positive infants initiated on ART within 2 weeks of receiving positive test results, %23617148
  • Abbreviations: ART, antiretroviral therapy; DBS, dried blood sample; EID, early infant diagnosis; HEI, HIV-exposed infant; PCR, polymerase chain reaction.