On-line Courses for HIV Related Cognitive Deficits

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project addresses the call for proposals by the NIMH Office on AIDS for the AIDS Mental Health Services Delivery Section. Specifically, we address the call for "computer assisted methods to train health care providers in the psychosocial and neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV infection." In Phase I, we propose to develop and test the efficacy of an on-line course focusing on how HIV affects the brain. The course will be designed to offer psychosocial strategies to caregivers regarding behavioral patterns often associated with cognitive deficits among people with HIV/AIDS. Most online courses regarding HIV (very few of which are focused on mental health concerns) are currently sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. In turn, the focus of the information in the courses tends to be not only offering pharmaceutical-based strategies; but the courses tend to be designed primarily for physicians. The goal of this project is to develop and test the efficacy of an on-line course that will enable direct caregivers (specifically nurses, nurses' aides, social workers, and families) providing care for individuals with HIV-associated dementia (HAD) and related cognitive deficits to more effectively cope with behavioral problems associated with dementia in this population. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This prototype on-line course fills a profound and immediate need. It will serve as a basis for other on-line courses for continuing education credits, meeting training needs of caregivers in remote and rural areas as well as caregivers who have little to no time away from their work duties, by providing 24 hour a day access. The course will be hosted by an established HIV website that gets 3 million visits per month. Because of its development and evaluation, the product is enticing for co-sponsorship by pharmaceutical companies.