Increasing medication adherence among HIV+ Hispanics: A culturally tailored application of the imb model

The purpose of this study is to promote medication adherence, healthcare utilization, and positive health outcomes among HIV + Hispanics who are Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The education intervention employs a randomized group design to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief culturally-tailored educational intervention designed to increase medication adherence and positive health outcomes in 400 HIV+ Hispanic CMS beneficiaries in Miami-Dade Florida. The efficacy of the intervention is determined by comparing the Educational Intervention (EI) group to the Standard of Care (SOC) group on specific outcomes in the following five domains: 1) medication adherence information, 2) medication adherence motivation, 3) medication adherence skills, 4) medication adherence behavior, and 5) health outcomes. Participants are assessed at three time points: 1) pre-intervention baseline, 2) post-intervention (EI or SOC), and 3) 6-month post-intervention follow-up (i.e., 6 months following completion of the EI or SOC). The following measures are administered per domain: Demographics: El Centro demographic intake form, Medication Adherence Information: Items from IMB Medication Adherence Questionnaire and the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire. Medication Adherence Motivation: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), Patient-Practioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and the HIV Stigma Scales. Medication Adherence Skills: HIV Treatment Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (HIV-ASES). Medication Adherence Behavior: Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group Adherence Questionnaire (AACTG) and Rates of attendance to scheduled medical visits in a 6 month period. Health Outcomes: Viral load, CD4 cell count and the MOS-HIV Health Survey. In addition, HIV/AIDS stigma reduction strategies were crucial to the projects implementation.