[Health care support to patients with AIDS: the convoy model and nursing]

The objective of the present study was to know the relationship and the exchange of support between patients with AIDS and the people around them. This study is based on the convoy model of social relations, which, as one of its features, presents the network as three concentric circles. Participants were people who were hospitalized and talked about the health care support their received from the people close to them, i.e., those belonging to the internal convoy circle. Most participants described the circle as being composed by a maximum of five members, with relatives being the most common. Health professionals must know patients and their convoy, and be able to recognize them in the pscychosocial and cultural context so as to favor the acceptance of being HIV-positive, the need to make changes to their lifestyle, help with health care and adhere to the treatment.