We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
How do patients with HIV/AIDS understand and respond to health value questions?
- Authors
Sherman, Susan N.; Mrus, Joseph M.; Yi, Michael S.; Feinberg, Judith; Tsevat, Joel
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Utility assessment involves assigning values to experienced or unfamiliar health states. Pivotal to utility assessment, then, is how one conceptualizes health states such as "current health" and "perfect health." The purpose of this study was to ascertain how patients with HIV think about and value health and health states.<bold>Methods: </bold>We conducted open-ended in-depth interviews with 32 patients with HIV infection purposefully sampled from a multicenter study of quality of life in HIV. After undergoing computer-assisted utility assessment using the rating scale, time tradeoff, and standard gamble methods, patients were asked how they thought about the utility tasks and about the terms "current health" and "perfect health."<bold>Results: </bold>Patients understood the health valuation tasks but conceptualized health states in different ways. Many patients believed that "perfect health" was a mythical health state, and some questioned whether it was even desirable. "Current health" was variably interpreted as the status quo; deteriorating over time; or potentially improving with the hope of a cure.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Patients with HIV infection vary in the way they conceptualize health states central to utility assessment, such as perfect health and current health. Better understanding of these issues could make important methodologic and policy-level contributions.
- Subjects
HIV-positive persons; AIDS patients; HEALTH; QUALITY of life; BASIC needs; HUMAN ecology; HIV infections &; psychology; ADAPTABILITY (Personality); HEALTH attitudes; HEALTH status indicators; RESEARCH funding; RISK-taking behavior; TERMS &; phrases
- Publication
JGIM: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2006, Vol 21, pS56
- ISSN
0884-8734
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00647.x