The Southern Alberta HIV Clinic uses a modified version as below. At least one viral load will be undertaken to ascertain a baseline level. Routinely, we hope to follow patients every three to four months with viral load measurements. We aim to provide all patients with current and customized advice regarding the potential benefits and problems for them with antiretroviral treatment. This approach recognizes that when a patient has elected to start antiviral therapy, because he or she feels it is an appropriate intervention, there is clearly superior compliance and a much better outcome than in individuals who are ambivalent regarding initiating therapy and then are subsequently poor in complying with such therapy.
Good compliance is critical for some of the newer treatment regimens to be effective.
The availability of certain double and triple antiretroviral regimens, when used early in the course of infection, offer significant promise of a major breakthrough in controlling the disease. Clinic physicians now indicate they wish to use triple therapy as initial treatment. Therapy would be initiated based on criteria stated earlier for patients enthusiastic to take three drugs on a regular basis. Earlier therapy even during the seroconversion phase in compliant patients offers the best opportunity for controlling viral replication. If you are interested in the work being conducted with new drugs and approached in the clinic please visit the research activity section of our site.