Yesterday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a long-awaited report commissioned by the Office of National AIDS Policy back in 2010. IOM was tasked with recommending a list of essential indicators that can be standardized across various databases to provide a snapshot of the use of clinical services among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). Recent scientific advances have placed a premium on the importance of clinical care for PLWHAs. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the development of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy create a unique opportunity to dramatically improve the health outcomes of PLWHAs in the United States as well as opportunities to monitor and improve care provision.

A parallel effort of identifying a core set of common indicators to monitor Federally-funded HIV prevention, treatment, and care services is also underway at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Review this recent presentation to PACHA.