VIDEO TOOL FOR LOW-LITERACY HAART ADHERENCE

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is a critical need for materials that deliver key information supportive of adherence to highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) for the substantial population of persons with low functional literacy, and within contexts appropriate to African-American and Hispanic patients who are now the core the US HIV epidemic. While HAART can reduce morbidity and mortality if taken consistently, these populations have lower access to, more frequent refusal of, and poorer adherence to HAART. Functional literacy is a significant and common barrier to adherence. The innovative video format developed and piloted for this proposal has one specific aim and two objectives: 1. Improve adherence to HAART among the target population. a. Enable patients to accurately assess their readiness to initiate and adhere to HAART. b. Improve the quality of medication discussions so that both patients and providers receive and understand the information they need. The development of the video's content is grounded in the Health Belief Model. It covers key medical information, promotes informed consultation with providers, and suggests common barriers to adherence and ways to deal with them. Phase I funds are sought to complete development of the video and complete an evaluation of its effectiveness in preparation for a Phase II application for evaluation.