Plan services supporting prevention, timely linkage to care and continuity of treatment. Examine person-centred service arrangements, referral pathways and the integration of HIV services with other health and social support. The focus is programme coordination, with clinical decisions remaining within qualified practitioners’ scope.

Learning outcomes

  • Map a care pathway and identify avoidable access barriers.
  • Develop a coordination plan linking clinical and community services.
  • Explain how adherence support and referral systems contribute to continuity of care.
  • Design a quality-improvement response within a programme manager’s responsibilities.

Main topics

  • Combination prevention and testing pathways
  • Linkage, retention and adherence support
  • Prevention of vertical transmission and family support
  • Coordination with TB, sexual and reproductive health services
  • Mental health and noncommunicable disease integration
  • Differentiated and community-based service delivery
  • Medication-safety reporting and referral
  • Service continuity and quality improvement

Practical task

Map a fictional HIV service pathway from initial contact to ongoing support. Identify three points where people risk losing access, then design a referral and follow-up improvement plan with responsibilities, safeguards and measurable service indicators.

Assessment

Submit the service map and improvement plan, and present a multidisciplinary case discussion. Assessment considers continuity, accessibility, appropriate professional boundaries and measurable improvement.