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Published on: October 31, 2010
Development and psychometric validation of the HIV Treatment Knowledge Scale.
L Balfour1, J Kowal, G A Tasca
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Ottawa Hospital-General Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. lbalfour@ottawahospital.on.ca
AIDS Care
|December 7, 2007
Summary
This study introduces the first HIV Treatment Knowledge Scale, crucial for managing complex conditions. The scale demonstrates high validity and reliability, offering a valuable tool for patient education and intervention studies.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Infectious Diseases
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Accurate knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment is essential for patients managing complex medical conditions.
- Existing HIV knowledge scales primarily assess transmission and risk factors, neglecting crucial treatment aspects.
- There is a need for a validated instrument to measure knowledge of complex HIV treatment issues like adherence, side effects, and drug resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the first HIV Treatment Knowledge Scale (HTKS).
- To assess the scale's reliability and validity across diverse populations, including HIV-positive patients, co-infected individuals, and healthcare providers.
- To establish the HTKS as a tool for clinical teaching and outcome measurement in HIV education.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 346 participants: HIV-positive patients, HIV-hepatitis C co-infected patients, hepatitis C patients, community healthcare providers, and college students.
- Participants completed the proposed HIV Treatment Knowledge Scale and a general HIV knowledge measure.
- Two-week test-retest reliability was assessed.
Main Results:
- The HIV Treatment Knowledge Scale showed significant correlation with general HIV knowledge across all participant groups.
- Among HIV-positive patients, higher scores on the scale were associated with longer duration since HIV diagnosis and prior highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) experience.
- The scale demonstrated satisfactory test-retest reliability (r=0.83) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.90).
Conclusions:
- The HIV Treatment Knowledge Scale is a novel, reliable, and valid instrument for assessing knowledge of complex HIV treatment issues.
- The scale is easy to administer and has significant potential as a clinical teaching tool for patients and healthcare workers.
- The HTKS can serve as an effective outcome indicator in studies evaluating HIV educational interventions.
