Implementing Standardized HIV Care Clinics: A Qualitative Study from Healthcare Providers in Yunnan, China

Abstract Background The global shift of HIV to a manageable chronic condition necessitates a transformation in care delivery from disease-centered approach to patient-centered, comprehensive management. In response, Yunnan Province has initiated the standardization of HIV care clinics. However, the frontline perspective on implementation remains a key gap, hindering insight into the real-world mechanisms of success and challenge. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in Yunnan Province, China, between March and June 2025. Using maximum variation purposive sampling, we recruited 28 participants (including physicians, and case managers) from five hospitals at the provincial, prefectural, and county levels. Data were collected through five semi-structured focus group discussions. The audio-recorded discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the Framework Method. Results This study identified four core domains in the implementation of standardized HIV clinics through framework analysis: (1) Restructuring Workflow and Environment, which enhanced service efficiency and quality through coordinated procedural, spatial, and digital reorganization; (2) Deepening Patient‑Provider Interaction, shifting care from transactional exchanges to patient‑centered, relational communication; (3) Building Organizational Support and Team Capacity, realized through leadership endorsement, experiential training, and flexible adaptation; and (4) Navigating Persistent Challenges, including resource constraints, differential adaptation among patients and staff, and unaddressed emotional labor burden. These domains are dynamically linked: structured workflows enable higher‑quality interactions, while the trust built through these interactions in turn refines workflow details. Organizational support reinforces this cycle, driving the establishment and sustainment of clinic standardization. Conclusions Yunnan’s standardized HIV care clinic model demonstrates that effective, sustainable chronic care emerges from the dynamic interplay of system rationalization and human empowerment, offering a replicable framework for similar settings while underscoring the need to address persistent resource and well-being challenges.