title: Development of an HIV assessment tool.
abstract: The objective of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of a visual analog scale that rates HIV-related symptom severity and general well-being. Three groups of subjects completed the HIV Assessment Tool (HAT): uninfected subjects (n = 53); people with HIV infection (n = 60), and people with CDC-defined AIDS (n = 43) according to the 1987 criteria. Test-retest reliability was .96 and Cronbach's alpha was .92. Face, content, and construct validity were established. Significant differences were found between healthy subjects and those with HIV or AIDS supporting discriminant validity. Correlation of the Karnofsky performance status with the HAT was significant (r = .51, p < .001) which demonstrated concurrent validity. Factor analysis helped identify general well-being, general symptoms, and HIV-specific symptoms. The instrument can be used to relate HIV symptoms to disease progression, and to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions.
authors.affiliation: CUNY Hunter College, Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, New York.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Nokes
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kendrew
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support