Validating the Communicating Care Needs Tool for HIV (CCNT-HIV)

Health literacy has been identified as an influential factor affecting the HIV care continuum and HIV epidemic, but recent systematic reviews found mixed relationships between health literacy and HIV medication adherence. This may be partially due to discrepancies between health literacy conceptualizations, health literacy measures, and the lifeworld, day-to-day challenges that persons with HIV (PWH) face as they seek and receive care. To address these challenges, a new health literacy tool, Communicating Care Needs Tool for HIV (CCNT-HIV), was developed. With survey responses from 118 PWH, the current study compares CCNT-HIV with the Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool (BRIEF) and the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS) by conducting a principal component analysis. Six principal components were identified for CCNT-HIV; one principal component was identified for BRIEF; and three principal components were identified for AAHLS. With a correlation analysis, relevance among principal components across the three tools validated CCNT-HIV. This study extended the scope of health literacy measures by emphasizing the relational, multi-variable, collaborative impacts stakeholders make on patients' health management. Practical implications for how health literacy tools, like the CCNT-HIV, can be used to directly benefit patients and their health management are also discussed.