Priority Topics for Health Education to Support HIV Self-Management in Limited-Resource Settings

The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the information that persons living with HIV (PLWH) in a limited-resource setting need to effectively manage their health.

A data sources triangulation method was used to compare data from three separate sources: (a) 107 interviews with Spanish-speaking PLWH being seen at a healthcare clinic in the Dominican Republic (DR); (b) 40 interviews with Spanish-speaking healthcare providers from the same clinic in the DR; and (c) an integrative literature review of English- and Spanish-language articles that assessed the health information needs of PLWH in Latin America and the Caribbean. We compared information needs across sources and developed a prioritized list of the topics important to provide PLWH in a clinical setting.

Triangulation identified the most important topics for HIV-related health education for PLWH as medication and adherence, followed by transmission, including risks and prevention strategies, mental health management, and knowledge of HIV in general.

The identification of evidence-based health education priorities establishes a guide that healthcare providers may use to help PLWH effectively manage their health and creates a foundation from which further studies on improving clinical interactions may be generated.

Using the priorities identified, nurses and other health educators can improve patient education, and consequently self-management, by making evidence-based choices about what information to provide to their patients.