Saskatoon HIV Program Evaluation
Final Report - 2024
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
HIV transmission rates in Saskatchewan (SK) are the highest in Canada and continue to increase. Challenges linked to substance use, mental health and addiction, trauma, racism, violence, housing unaffordability, transportation access, poverty, and marginality contribute to the increased complexity of care and transmission rates, co-morbidities, co-infections, and early death among those living with or at risk for HIV infection. The majority of HIV/AIDS cases in SK are reported and cared for in Saskatoon. As such, providers identified a need to evaluate Saskatoon’s HIV/AIDS care delivery program to identify better ways to support the patient population and decrease transmission rates.
Launched in November 2022 by a stakeholder group of care providers, this review assessed HIV care services available in Saskatoon to identify ways to improve service delivery and clinical outcomes. The four-phase evaluation process was informed and iteratively carried out according to stakeholder input, data collection, and findings generated from previous evaluative phases. A plenary session was held with stakeholders in the fall of 2023 to validate interim findings (Table 1) and identify the next steps for addressing gaps and barriers across each marker along the HIV cascade of care.
In November 2023, stakeholders identified the need for a strategic awareness plan to advance the program evaluation findings (See Appendix 2.0 and 6.0). As such, a plan and media kit were developed, accompanying this report. Provider tradeshows and process mapping sessions were held, where provider agencies presented organizational structures, programming, and care-intake processes. This information informed a comprehensive map of the HIV care ecosystem in Saskatoon (Figure 7). This map helped to articulate specific gaps further and missed opportunities for coordinated care across sites and services. A second map detailing the ideal process for HIV care was co-developed with providers and validated by stakeholders to support the continuous sustainable improvement towards an integrated care pathway across services and care sites (Figure 8)and informed the final set of improvement priorities for HIV care in Saskatoon (Table 2).
This report outlines the evaluation process, synthesizes and summarizes the results of data collection and plenary sessions, and presents recommended actions. It includes the current and proposed clinical and service care pathways offered by provider organizations in Saskatoon.
Please follow the link below for the full, comprehensive report, action plan, and communication plan materials.