title: Assessing Implicit Cognition Among Patients Lost to Follow-up for HIV Care: A Preliminary Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While a growing body of research indicates that implicit cognitive processes play an important role in a range of health behaviors, the assessment of these impulsive, associative mental processes among patients living with HIV has received little attention. This preliminary study explored how multidimensional scaling (MDS) could be used to assess implicit cognitive processes among patients lost to follow-up for HIV care and develop interventions to improve their engagement.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 33 patients who were identified as lost to follow up for HIV care at two urban hospitals. Participants were randomly assigned to either the MDS assessment program or control group. All participants underwent measures designed to gauge behavioral change intentions and treatment motivation. Assessment group participants were interviewed to determine their reactions to the assessment program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MDS assessment program identified cognitive processes and their relationship to treatment-related behaviors among assessment group participants. Assessment group participants reported significantly greater behavior change intentions than those in the control group (p =.02; Cohen's d = 0.84).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDS shows promise as a tool to identify implicit cognitive processes related to treatment-related behaviors. Assessments based on MDS could serve as the basis for patient-centered clinical interventions designed to improve treatment adherence and HIV care engagement in general.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Houston
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Chicago, IL 60608, USA.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Michael Reese Research & Education Foundation, Chicago, IL 60616, USA.
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rolfsen
authors.affiliation: Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, Michael Reese Research & Education Foundation, Chicago, IL 60616, USA.
authors.forename: Maryanne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Chicago, IL 60608, USA.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rucker
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Chicago, IL 60608, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Glick
keywords: Antiretroviral adherence; health behavior change; health disparities; implicit cognition; motivation; patient retention; web-based technology