Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Jul 1;63(3):362-6.
doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e318295b86a.

Higher quality communication and relationships are associated with improved patient engagement in HIV care

Tabor E Flickinger  1 , Somnath Saha, Richard D Moore, Mary C Beach
Affiliations

Higher quality communication and relationships are associated with improved patient engagement in HIV care

Tabor E Flickinger et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. .

Abstract

Patient retention in HIV care may be influenced by patient-provider interactions. In an urban, academic HIV clinic, 1363 patients rated the quality of communication and relationships with their providers on 5 domains. We used linear regressions to investigate associations between these 5 domains and appointment adherence. In multivariate analysis, patients kept more appointments if providers treated them with dignity and respect, listened carefully to them, explained in ways they could understand, and knew them as persons. Being involved in decisions was not significantly associated with appointment adherence. Enhancing providers' skills in effective communication and relationship building may improve patient retention in HIV care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Gardner LI, Marks G, Craw JA, et al. A Low-Effort, Clinic-Wide Intervention Improves Attendance for HIV Primary Care. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;55:1124–34. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Samet JH, Freedberg KA, Savetsky JB, et al. Discontinuation from HIV medical care: squandering treatment opportunities. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2003;14:244–55. - PubMed
    1. Giordano T. Retention in HIV care: what the clinician needs to know. Top Antivir Med. 2011;19:12–6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mugavero M, Norton W, Saag M. Health care system and policy factors influencing engagement in HIV medical care: piecing together the fragments of a fractured health care delivery system. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52(Suppl. 1):S238–46. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ulett K, Willig J, Hui-Yi L, et al. The therapeutic implications of timely linkage and early retention in HIV care. AIDS Patient Care STDs. 2009;23:41–9. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types