Evaluation of the New York State AIDS Institute’s HIV Continuous Quality Improvement Project

The HIV Continuous Quality Improvement Project (HIVQUAL) was a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) sponsored quality improvement program designed to build capacity and sustainability of care among Title III and IV guarantees in order to ensure optimal care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

The project was originally developed by the New York State Department of Health, Aids Bureau and has been implemented at well over 100 sites nationally. It utilizes an organizational assessment, a software program for collection of core indicators and a continuous quality improvement (CQI) model consisting of eight, well-defined steps as its main structural components. Furthermore, HIVQual CQI consultants work through on-site and telephone coaching to help agencies improve in clinical core data categories (such as PPD screening, gynecological care, anti-retroviral therapy and viral load/CD4 counts) by using a multidisciplinary team approach and quality improvement education.

The long-term objective of HIVQUAL is to ultimately incorporate a permanent CQI model into a site’s overall organizational structure and thereby assure sustainability and quality of care.

The HDWG received funding from HRSA to evaluate the HIVQual program at Title III sites. The evaluation consisted of the following activities:

• CQI consultant surveys and interviews
• Title III site surveys
• Analysis of improvement in HIV core data
• Site visits to identify promising models and approaches

Project Staff: Staff for this project included Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Chinwe Johnson, M.D., MPH, Project Coordinator.