Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1400 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
AIDS Behav. 2013 Jan;17(1):242-9. doi: 10.1007/s10461-012-0367-y.
HIV knowledge may impact patient access, understanding, and utilization of HIV medical information. This study explored the relationship between personal HIV knowledge, appointment adherence and treatment outcomes. HIV-infected individuals (n = 210) were assessed on factors related to HIV knowledge and appointment adherence. Adherence data and laboratory values were extracted from medical records. HIV knowledge was measured by participants' knowledge of their CD4 count and viral load (VL) and adherence was defined as attendance at >75 % of appointments. Two-thirds of participants were adherent, but only one-third knew their CD4 count and VL. Controlling for time since last appointment, HIV knowledge more than doubled the odds of appointment adherence. In combination with relationship with provider, knowledge predicted increased CD4 count and increased odds of an undetectable VL by almost five times. Personal HIV knowledge may be a valuable indicator of engagement in care and may also facilitate improved treatment outcomes.
HIV 知识可能会影响患者获取、理解和利用 HIV 医学信息的能力。本研究探讨了个人 HIV 知识、预约依从性和治疗结果之间的关系。对 210 名 HIV 感染者进行了与 HIV 知识和预约依从性相关因素的评估。从病历中提取了依从性数据和实验室值。通过参与者对其 CD4 计数和病毒载量 (VL) 的了解来衡量 HIV 知识，将出席率 >75%定义为依从性。三分之二的参与者依从性较好，但只有三分之一的人了解自己的 CD4 计数和 VL。控制上次就诊时间后，HIV 知识使预约依从性的几率增加了一倍以上。与提供者的关系相结合，知识可预测 CD4 计数增加和 VL 不可检测的几率增加近五倍。个人 HIV 知识可能是参与治疗的一个有价值的指标，也可能有助于改善治疗结果。
