title: HIV-infected women's relationships with their health care providers in the rural deep south: an exploratory study.
abstract: Through this qualitative study we explored the patient/provider relationships of rural HIV-infected women. Thirty-nine women from rural Alabama were recruited to participate in one of four focus groups. The focus groups were audiorecorded, and the participants were asked to complete surveys measuring patient/provider trust. The verbatim-transcribed audio recordings were analyzed using content analysis. The participants' descriptions of their relationships with health care providers were represented by three major thematic categories: caring, informative, and competent. These findings provide a foundation for further research on the role of patient/provider relationships in the health outcomes of HIV disease in rural, resource-poor settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0022, USA.
authors.forename: Amelia K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Boehme
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moneyham
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Melonie W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Walcott
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mugavero
authors.forename: Wynne E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: Mirjam-Colette
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kempf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires