ARV Therapy Information Management Working Conference Convenes in Qingdao

In order to go a step further in strengthening the work of managing antiretroviral therapy (ART), ensure the quality of of the National ART Database, and raise the capacity of the monitoring and evaluation (M and E) of the ART program, the Antiretroviral Therapy Information Management Working Conference convened from the 23rd to the 26th of August in the Qingdao Seashore Garden Hotel. It was sponsored by the National Center for STD/AIDS Prevention and Control (NCAIDS) under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and held by the Qingdao Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Altogether more than 50 people from NCAIDS Treatment and Care Division and all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities participated in the meeting.The meeting was hosted by Ms. Ma Ye, Deputy Director of NCAIDS Treatment and Care Division. NCAIDS Deputy Director Liu Zhongfu, Shandong Province CDC Deputy Secretary Xue Yedong, Qingdao CDC Director Li Shuili attended the opening ceremony and made speeches. The meeting first introduced the working condition of China's ART information system, and summarized the main problems currently existing in the system and the focal points of the next step in information management. Focusing on the recently released "2007 ART Data Quality Evaluation Proposal", the meeting gave a thorough and exhaustive introduction of basic goals, target methods, organisationsal implementation, results and feedback, and typical examples of workflow in the field, and especially stressed the various technical sections of on-site evaluations. As the process for formulating some individual indicators used in evaluations is relatively complex, and it is not currently possible to download existing results from the AIDS Network Information system, the meeting conducted detailed and specific explanations on the principles, processes and examples of how evaluative indicators were quantified.Finally, the meeting summarized matters needing attention in the comprehensive management of pediatric ART, and introduced commonly seen problems and major issues the ART drug management process. There was particular focus on drug planning and calculation methods. The conference was held using classroom lectures, practice exercises, interactive discussions, and other such methods in alternation. Enthusiastic and in-depth discussions were given to individual problems.The convening of this meeting will provide comprehensive and detailed technical support for the launch of 2007's work of Free ART Data Quality Evaluation, provide strong guidance for the smooth start-up of field evaluations in each province, and establish a good foundation for improving ART data quality by more readily detecting and resolving problems with ART data quality and standardizing the filling out of ART information forms. This council will also serve the positive function of pushing forward the standardization of management for pediatric ART data and ART drugs.