Cohort Profile: The TASO-CAN Cohort Collaboration
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Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International journal of epidemiology
Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa has scaled-up access to combination
anti-retroviral therapy (cART) at unprecedented
rates, yet data on patient-related outcomes remain
sparse. Representative databases that facilitate highquality
collection, harmonization and analysis of
HIV-related information from clinical and researchrelated
sites are needed. The large sample sizes that
nationally representative databases permit facilitate
identification of rare outcomes and emerging problems
and the elucidation of more complex relationships
involving the use of cART. These efforts also
allow meaningful comparisons between regional treatment
programmes that differ in their operational procedures
and serve diverse communities in different
settings. Unique features of individual sites exist,
such as language used and cultural norms, research
and care capacity, infrastructure development, personnel
training and experience, and collection of data
elements that differ in type, number, definition or
method of laboratory. Furthermore, the use of innovative
databases and informatics approaches can provide
a principled approach to pool national data, and improve
uniformity and consistency in data management
in such heterogeneous settings.
Description
Keywords
Cohort Profile, TASO-CAN, Cohort Collaboration
Citation
Bakanda, C., Birungi, J., Nkoyooyo, A., Featherstone, A., Cooper, C. L., Hogg, R. S., & Mills, E. J. (2012). Cohort Profile: The TASO-CAN Cohort Collaboration. International journal of epidemiology, 41(4), 946-950. doi:10.1093/ije/dyr033