Individual satisfaction with HIV/AIDS care in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Individual satisfaction is associated with increased retention in HIV/AIDS care services and adherence to treatment. This study assessed factors associated with individual satisfaction at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and compared the proportions of satisfaction at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and after three months of follow-up. Face-to-face interviews were carried out among 398 individuals of three HIV/ AIDS healthcare services in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Variables included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, perception about healthcare services, and domains of quality of life. Individuals that rated the quality of healthcare services as good or very good were classified as satisfied. A logistic regression analysis of the association between independent variables and individual satisfaction was performed. The proportion of individual satisfaction with healthcare services was 95.5% at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and 96.7% after three months and these changes were not statistically significant (p = 0.472). The physical domain of quality of life was found to be associated with satisfaction at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (OR = 1.38; CI = 1.11–1.71; p = 0.003). Training and supervision of health professionals for addressing the needs of individuals with lower levels of physical domain of quality of life may improve satisfaction with HIV/ AIDS care.

KEYWORDS:

• Patient satisfaction
• HIV
• health services research

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by the scientific research support institutions. Contributors: All authors have contributed significantly to this study and are aware of and agree with this submission. A.C.G.M. carried out the data analysis, and interpretation, write-up of the article and approval of final version for publication. M.G.B. contributed towards the project design, carried out the data interpretation, critical revision of relevant content and approval of the final version for publication, as well as overseeing all stages of the research to guarantee the precision and integrity of all elements of the study. M.R.S. contributed towards the data interpretation, article write-up, and approval of the final version for publication. M.G.L contributed towards the data analysis, and interpretation, article write-up, and approval of the final version for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was carried out by the UFMG with financial support from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) [grant number CDS-APQ-03938-16], Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) finance code 001, and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).