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January 2009

####### HIV and AIDS Treatment and Research

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the nation\'s largest single
provider of health care to those infected with HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus). Approximately 62,000 veterans with HIV
infection and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) have been
treated in VA since the disease was first recognized in the United
States in 1981. In 2007, approximately 23,000 patients with HIV
infection were treated at VA facilities across the nation. Mirroring the
VA population as a whole, veterans with HIV are predominantly male (97
percent) with an average age of 52 years in 2007. Veterans with HIV are
seen at every VA facility, with the largest 30 sites providing care to
70 percent of all veterans with HIV. Improving early diagnosis of HIV
infection is central to VA's approach to HIV/AIDS care.

**Care and Treatment**

Since their inception, VA has adopted the clinical guidance on
management of HIV/AIDS from the Department of Health and Human
Services\' \"Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in
HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents.\" All medications approved by the
Food and Drug Administration for treating HIV infection are available in
VA. In 2007, 78 percent of all veterans with a diagnosis of HIV
infection at VA received anti-HIV therapy from VA, though not all
patients are candidates for therapy. Use of currently available anti-HIV
therapy has resulted in improved survival and fewer disease-related
complications for veterans living with HIV/AIDS. Through the use of
clinical software tools called the Clinical Case Registry and Clinical
Reminders, VA's Center for Quality Management in Public Health staff
work to educate and train front-line HIV providers on how these tools
can improve patient and population outcomes.

**Policy and Oversight**

VA\'s HIV/AIDS care programs take a comprehensive approach with
increased emphasis on population management of veterans with HIV
infection. The National Office for Clinical Public Health Programs works
with field clinicians, administrators and other national VA program
offices to develop and implement national policies designed to provide
all HIV-positive veterans equal access to state-of-the-art therapy.
Summary reports from the national Clinical Case Registry are used for
targeted quality initiatives while this robust national database is used
for ongoing patient safety oversight.

**- More -**

**HIV-AIDS 2/2/2/2**

######## **Training and Education**

VA conducts frequent meetings, national training programs and
teleconferences on issues related to HIV/AIDS clinical care and
research, testing and counseling, prevention, patient health education
and occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens. VA also employs
newsletters, electronic news dissemination, email groups and web-based
training to help HIV care providers keep their knowledge and skills in
HIV/AIDS management up-to-date. VA has a nationally recognized Web site
devoted to HIV at [www.hiv.va.gov](http://www.hiv.va.gov/).

**Research**

VA conducts wide-ranging research in HIV/AIDS, from basic studies of the
mechanisms of AIDS to clinical trials and assessments of health services
delivery. Research is an integral part of VA's efforts to improve the
diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV infection.

VA's large network of medical centers and clinics, its large patient
population and its sophisticated research infrastructure provide a
system for multi-center clinical trials investigating new HIV medication
regimens or treatment strategy studies.

In seeking a better understanding of AIDS, VA also works closely with
many other organizations. These include VA-affiliated academic medical
centers, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense, the NIH-funded
Community Program on Clinical Research on AIDS and AIDS Clinical Trials
Group, the Food and Drug Administration, the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research and the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom.
Collaboration among these organizations enhances opportunities to
discover new and better strategies for veterans and all people with
HIV/AIDS.

More information can be found at
[www.hiv.va.gov](http://www.hiv.va.gov/) and
[http://www.publichealth.va.gov](http://www.publichealth.va.gov/).

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