Assessing self-management information needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS

In order to maximize their health status, persons living with HIV/AIDS must use a variety of self-management strategies. They learn these strategies from many sources often based on a specific need or problem. Information needs can be addressed during health care appointments but time is often limited and spent on more acute issues such as symptom control or medication adherence. In order to assess information needs, a 76-item HIV+ Information for Self-Care Quiz was developed and piloted with two samples. Both samples (n = 50, 43) were predominantly people of color and male with a mean age of either 44 or 56 years, respectively. This paper describes the phases of development and offers suggestions for its use in clinical settings, research, and provider education. By using this quiz to determine preexisting knowledge level, interactions with the health care provider can be more focused to address knowledge gaps and less time could be spent teaching information that the client already knows.