Remember, HIV care is about improving your overall health and helping you to thrive
Beyond viral suppression, your HIV care should include a focus on your wellbeing, including your quality of life. Your health-related quality of life is your perceived level of wellbeing and health across a range of areas in your life and it is an important component of your healthcare.[1]
"I see that my clinician is interested in more than just my numbers. They're interested in what's going on in my life."
BRENT ALLAN
HIV Advocate
Engaging with your doctor
Understanding your level of overall health-related quality of life and even individual components such as your physical health or social relationships, can better inform your doctor about what support to offer you. Knowing your health-related quality of life can also help you and your doctor to make decisions around your care, addressing any concerns you may have about your treatment and finding a care regimen that supports your overall health goals. It is important to be involved in your HIV care because being actively involved in decision making can lead to more favourable health outcomes.[1,2]
Talking wellbeing with your doctor
One way your doctor can record your health-related quality of life is with a health scale called a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM). This is a series of questions about your experience with HIV and how it affects your health.
The benefits of using PROMs are that they focus on what matters to you and give your doctor a better understanding of your health, which allows them to make better decisions with you about your care. PROMs are also a useful tool for enhancing communication between you and your doctor, and can be repeated to record health outcomes over time.
There are a range of PROMs used in Australia. One PROM designed specifically for use in HIV is the PozQoL Scale.[3] This is a short, easy-to-use scale that includes 13 items about your experience across areas of psychological, social, health concerns and functional wellbeing. You can talk to your doctor about using PROMs like PozQoL to better understand your health-related quality of life and take an active role in shaping your HIV care.
References:
- Lazarus JV et al. BMC Med. 2016; 14(1): 94.
- ViiV Healthcare. Positive Perspectives Study, Wave 2 Results Report. June 2021. Available at: https://viivhealthcare.com/content/dam/cf-viiv/viivhealthcare/en_GB/files/030821-updated-pp2-report-approved.pdf Accessed April 2024.
- Brown G et al. BMC Public Health. 2018; 18(1): 527.
NP-AU-HVX-WCNT-240003 | Date of preparation: April 2024.
