Sixteen studies were included in the review. The total number of HIV positive participants was unclear but 13 studies included 29,897 participants. Two studies were RCTs, one a CCT (taken from Appendix 3), four prospective and five retrospective cohorts, one cross-sectional study, two time series and one prospective time-motion study.
Allocation concealment was unclear in both RCTs; one RCT was at low risk of bias for other criteria and the other RCT was at high risk of bias due to inadequate blinding. The CCT was subject to high or unclear risk of bias. Six of the remaining studies did not provide adequate follow-up data and seven studies did not provide details on controlling for confounding factors.
Decision Support (four studies): Two studies each reported statistically significant improvements in five out of nine (56%) process measures and five out of 12 (42%) outcome measures.
Clinical Information Systems (nine studies): Eight studies that assessed process measures reported that 17 out of 41 (42%) measures showed statistically significant improvement. Three studies that reported outcome measures showed that three out of nine (33%) outcomes were improved.
Decision Support and Clinical Information Systems (three studies): Findings on process measures varied across the three studies. Two studies reported significant improvements on all outcome measures.
Other results were reported in the review.