title: Development and validation of the HIV Medication Readiness Scale.
abstract: Excellent medication adherence (>95%) is required for optimal HIV treatment success. This study aimed to develop and validate a brief scale to assess psychological readiness for successfully starting and adhering to HIV medications. HIV-positive men and women (N = 142) from an HIV outpatient clinic completed the proposed HIV Medication Readiness Scale (HMRS) prior to starting HIV medications. The 10-item HMRS demonstrated high internal consistency (alpha = .90), test-retest reliability (r = .83), and sensitivity to change following a standardized 4-session psychoeducational intervention designed to increase readiness for successful adherence. Predictive validity was supported by higher readiness scores on the day starting HIV medications, predicting higher treatment adherence at 1-month follow-up. The HMRS is a brief, easy-to-use, clinically relevant tool that can assist in identifying people living with HIV at high risk of nonadherence, who might benefit from tailored readiness counseling prior to initiating HIV medications.
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Hospital-General Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. lbalfour@ottawahospital.on.ca
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balfour
authors.forename: Giorgio A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Tasca
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kowal
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corace
authors.forename: Curtis L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Jonathan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garber
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Macpherson
authors.forename: D William
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires