The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to examine the relationships between perception of engagement with health care provider and demographic characteristics, health status, and adherence to therapeutic regimen in persons with HIV/AIDS. The convenience sample of 707 non-hospitalized persons receiving health care for HIV/AIDS was recruited from seven U.S. sites. All measures were self-report. Perception of engagement with health care provider was measured by the newly developed Engagement with Health Care Provider scale. Adherence to therapeutic regimen included adherence to medications, provider advice, and appointments. Health status was measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (MOS SF-36), Living with HIV scale, CD4 count, and length of time known to be HIV-positive. There were no significant relationships between engagement with health care provider and age, gender, ethnicity, and type of health care provider. Subscales of the MOS SF-36 and Living with HIV explained a significant, but modest amount of the variance in engagement. Clients who were more engaged with their health care provider reported greater adherence to medication regimen and provider advice. Clients who missed at least one appointment in the last month or who reported current or past injection drug use were significantly less engaged.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential contribution of perceived HIV stigma to quality of life for people living with HIV infection. A cross-sectional design explored the contribution of demographic variables, symptoms, and stigma to quality of life in an international sample of 726 people living with HIV infection. Stigma independently contributed a significant 5.3% of the explained variance in quality of life, after removing contributions of HIV-related symptoms and severity of illness. This study empirically documents that perceived HIV stigma had a significantly negative impact upon quality of life for a broad sample of people living with HIV infection.

In preparation for a proposed intervention at an antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic in Durban, South Africa, we explored the dynamics and patterns of cellular phone use among this population, in order to ascertain whether clinic contact via patients' cellular phones was a feasible and acceptable modality for appointment reminders and adherence messages. Adults, who were more than 18 years old, ambulatory, and who presented for treatment at the clinic between October-December 2007, were consecutively recruited until the sample size was reached (n = 300). A structured questionnaire was administered, including questions surrounding sociodemographics, cellular phone availability, patterns of use, and acceptability of clinic contact for the purpose of clinic appointment reminders and adherence support. Most respondents (n = 242; 81%) reported current ownership of a cellular phone with 95% utilizing a prepaid airtime service. Those participants who currently owned a cellular phone reported high cellular phone turnover due to theft or loss (n = 94, 39%) and/or damage (n = 68, 28%). More females than men switched their cell phones off during the day (p = 0.002) and were more likely to not take calls in certain social milieus (p ≤ 0.0001). Females were more likely to share their cell phone with others (p = 0.002) or leave it in a place where someone could access it (p = 0.005). Most respondents were willing to have clinic contact via their cellular phones, either verbally (99%) or via text messages (96%). The use of cellular phones for intervention purposes is feasible and should be further investigated. The findings highlight the value of gender-based analyses in informing interventions.

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