Unmet needs for help among persons with AIDS.
Current trends in AIDS care in the United States, including dehospitalization and improved outpatient treatment, may place many persons with AIDS (PWAs) at increased risk for having unmet need for help with daily living demands. Using interviews with 224 PWAs, we examined the prevalence and correlates of unmet need for assistance across six functional domains: personal care, instrumental activities of daily living (e.g. home chores, using transportation), social functioning, role performance, taking care of one's health and negotiating systems. Overall, 74.1% of respondents reported having either a partially or completely unmet need for help in one or more areas of functioning. Unmet need for help was highest for instrumental activities of daily living (46.4%). Unmet need was associated with illness severity (i.e. more symptoms and hospitalizations), minority status and support network characteristics (proximity, size and type of supporters). Implications of unmet needs data for improving the clinical care of PWAs are discussed.
Smith
M Y
MY
Psychiatry Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Rapkin
B D
BD
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000635:transmission; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification; D000328:Adult; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000639:trends; D003688:Deinstitutionalization / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000639:trends; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends; D012944:Social Support; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*