Development and validation of the HIV Medication Readiness Scale.
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.
Balfour
Louise
L
Ottawa Hospital-General Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. lbalfour@ottawahospital.on.ca
Tasca
Giorgio A
GA
Kowal
John
J
Corace
Kimberly
K
Cooper
Curtis L
CL
Angel
Jonathan B
JB
Garber
Gary
G
Macpherson
Paul A
PA
Cameron
D William
DW
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