Are Expert Patients an Untapped Resource for ART Provision in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Table 1

Study characteristics of included articles.

Country	Inputs				Outcomes	Method
	Tasks of PLWHA	Training	Salary	Equipment
Kenya [20, 21]	Community care coordinators, each responsible for 8–20 adults: (i) Monthly drug refills; (ii) Pill count; (iii) Monitoring; (iv) Referral of problem cases	(i) 1-week theoretical,; (ii) 2-months practice, on the job training	Yes	(i) Mobile device; (ii) Mobile phone	208 patients stable and at least 3 months on ART were randomly assigned to: community-based care (𝑁=96) and clinic-based care (𝑁=112): (i) 50% reduction clinical visits when in community-based care; (ii) 5% LFU rate in both arms at 12 months follow-up time	Cluster RCT
Mozambique [22]	PLWHA organized in community ART groups in which 6 members are responsible for; (i) Monthly drug refills; (ii) Pill count; (iii) Self-reporting; (iv) Self-referral	(i) Information session on day of inclusion in a CAG; (ii) 6 monthly interactive group sessions; (iii) No formal training	No	No	1,301 patients at least 6 months stable on ART were enrolled CAG. After median follow-up time of 12,9 months: (i) 0.2% LFU; (ii) 2.3% died; (iii) 97.5% retained	Cohort study

RCT: randomised controlled trial; PLWHA: people living with HIV/AIDS; LFU: lost to followup; CAG: community ART groups.