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The integration of original data from multiple antiretroviral (ARV) adherence studies offers a promising, but little used method to generate evidence to advance the field. This paper provides an overview of the design and implementation of MACH14, a collaborative, multi-site study in which a large data system has been created for integrated analyses by pooling original data from 16 longitudinal ARV adherence studies. Studies selected met specific criteria including similar research design and data domains such as adherence measured with medication event monitoring system, psychosocial factors related to adherence behavior, and virologic and clinical outcomes. The data system created contains individual data (collected between 1997 and 2009) from 2,860 HIV patients. Collaboration helped resolve the challenges inherent in pooling data across multiple studies, yet produced a data system with strong statistical power and potentially greater capacity to address key scientific questions than possible with single-sample studies or even meta-analytic designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the inclusion of complementary and alternative therapies in nursing curricula in the U.S. Changes in professional and societal attitudes towards the use of such therapies; Identification of future directions for incorporating content on such therapies into nursing education programs; Suggestions that undergraduate nursing programs need to introduce the philosophy of Oriental medicine.

Functional health illiteracy is a silent disability demanding the attention of healthcare professionals because it affects millions of people in the United States. Patients are reluctant to disclose this problem because they fear discrimination and stigmatization. Inadequate health literacy raises ethical questions because it is a barrier to healthcare and results in poor health outcomes. The purposes of this article are to provide an overview of functional health illiteracy, identify related ethical concerns, and discuss selected, relevant nursing implications. Nurses are in a unique position to serve as advocates, mediators, and translators for their patients who are functionally health illiterate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling health care costs has been a goal within the health care system for nearly 40 years. Yet, what is occuring is that health care costs are actually increasing, and the quality of care is decreasing. Patients and health professionals are complaining that accessibility to services is limited. There are inadequate numbers of nursing staff to care for patients who are both sicker and have shorter lengths of stay. Patients are bewildered by a system that they find to be extremely impersonal and difficult to navigate. This article uses a hypothetical case to identify and examine some of the ethical issues related to access to health care within a managed care system. Recommendations for nurses are presented to help them meet the challenges of limited health care resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how patients with AIDS (PWAs) transcend the emotional and physical suffering of their illness. Content analysis of the interviews of 5 PWAs resulted in 3 main themes: creating a meaningful life pattern, connectedness, and self-care. The results of this study provide presumptive evidence that PWAs can transcend the suffering associated with a life-threatening illness and live meaningful and productive lives. Nurses who anticipate actual and potential growth in PWAs will be able to validate such experiences and feelings and encourage further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with moral distress experienced by staff nurses. Shortage of nurses in the United States; Issues created by managed care; Professional ethics for nurses; Strategies to address moral distress.

Background: Persons with HIV (PWHIV) on highly active antiretroviral treatments (HAART) may require specialized care based on health and demographic indicators. This study investigated the association of comorbidities, race, weight status, and gastrointestinal (GI) and cardiovascular (CV) symptoms among PWHIV., Methods: The Symptom Checklist, Co-Morbidity Questionnaire, and Sociodemographic Questionnaire were used to assess weight status and GI and CV symptoms among 283 PWHIV. Data were analyzed using latent class analysis on John's Macintosh Project 13 Platform., Results: Participants were majority Black (50%), 69% male, and 35% AIDS diagnosed. Ages were 25 to 66. Clusters included least symptomatic status, weight gain, and weight loss by Black and non-Black participants. The non-Black weight gain cluster reported a higher incidence of AIDS (70.6% vs 38.2%), nausea (70.6% vs 17.6%), diarrhea (70.6% vs 26.5%), and shortness of breath (58.8% vs 20.6%) compared to the Black weight gain cluster. The Black weight loss cluster reported a higher incidence of CV symptoms such as chest palpitations (42.2% vs 2.7%), chest pain (44.4% vs 8.1%), and shortness of breath (73.3% vs 35.1%). Moreover, the Black weight loss cluster reported a higher incidence of all GI symptoms with the most prominent being diarrhea (71.1% vs 48.6%) compared to the non-Black weight loss cluster., Conclusions: The existing racial disparities in health-related quality of life for PWHIV may be improved through precision health and nutrition modifications. Continued research is needed investigating differential health outcomes among PWHIV on HAART., Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT00222716. Registered 22 September 2005. Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00222716?term=NCT00222716&draw=2&rank=1., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The high prevalence of chronic illnesses in South Asian Indian immigrant women underscores the need for identifying factors that could influence their PA. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of South Asian Indian immigrant women related to barriers to and motives for lifestyle PA within the PA Framework for South Asian Indian Immigrants. Forty women participated in focus groups that were conducted in English and Hindi. Focus group questions were open-ended and semistructured. Transcribed and de-identified audiotaped sessions were coded and analyzed using Atlas.ti software. Role expectation was a core theme for barriers with four subthemes: lack of time, loss of interest, diminished social support, and environmental constraints. Self-motivation was a core theme for motives with three subthemes: optimal physical and psychological health, emphasis on external beauty, and strong social support. Future PA interventions need to target these culturally sensitive factors.

In medication adherence-promotion trials, participants in the intervention arm are often cognizant of the researcher's aim to improve adherence; this may lead to their inflating reports of their own adherence compared to control arm participants. Using data from 1,247 HIV-positive participants across eight U.S. Studies in the Multi-site Adherence Collaboration on HIV (MACH14) collaboration, we evaluated the validity of self-reported adherence by examining whether its association with two more objective outcomes [1], electronically monitored adherence and [2] viral load, varied by study arm. After adjusting for potential confounders, there was no evidence of greater overestimation of self-reported adherence among intervention arm participants, supporting its potential as a trial outcome indicator.

Objective: To use electronic drug monitoring to determine if adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) changes over time, whether changes are linear, and how the declines vary by study., Design: We conducted a longitudinal study of pooled data from 11 different studies of HIV-infected adults using ART. The main outcome was ART adherence (percent of prescribed doses taken) measured by electronic drug monitoring. We modeled and compared changes in adherence over time using repeated measures linear mixed effects models and generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs). Indicator variables were used to examine the impact of individual studies, and the variation across studies was evaluated using study-specific parameter estimates calculated by using interaction terms of study and time., Results: The mean age of the subjects was 41 years, 35% were female, most had high school education or less, and 46% were African American. In GAMMs, adherence declined over time. The GAMMs further suggested that the decline was nonlinear, and in both sets of models, there was considerable study-to-study variability in how adherence changed over time., Limitations: Findings may not be generalizable to non-US populations or to patients not in clinical studies., Conclusions: Although overall ART adherence declined with time, not all studies showed declines, and a number of patterns of change were seen. Studies that identify clinical and organizational factors associated with these different patterns are needed. Models of changes in adherence with time should take account of possible nonlinear effects.

As the U.S. population ages, the proportion of hospitalized patients older than 65 years will continue to increase with a significant number likely to have some degree of cognitive impairment. Because of the high rate of falls-related traumatic injury among older adults, many will require orthopaedic services. These patients may have multiple comorbidities and are at increased risk for complications. Varying degrees of cognitive impairment in combination with possible postoperative complications including delirium places these patients at risk for decreased decisional capacity and can create ethical dilemmas during the provision of bedside care. This article explores some everyday ethical dilemmas that nurses face in their care of hospitalized older adults, and offers nurses strategies to preserve patient dignity and self-determination while providing high-quality, evidence-based nursing care.

Aim: This paper is a report of an examination of the psychometric properties of the HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale., Background: Self-efficacy is a critically important component of strategies to improve HIV medication-taking; however, valid and reliable tools for assessing HIV medication-taking self-efficacy are limited., Method: We used a cross-sectional, correlational design. Between 2003 and 2007, 326 participants were recruited from sites in Pennsylvania and Ohio in the United States of America. Six self-report questionnaires administered at baseline and 12 weeks later during 'Improving Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy' were used to examine the variables of interest. Means and variances, reliability, criterion, and construct validity of the HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale were assessed., Findings: Participants reported high self-confidence in their ability to carry out specific medication-related tasks (mean = 8·31) and in the medication's ability to effect good outcomes (mean = 8·56). The HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale and subscales showed excellent reliability (α = 0·93∼0·94). Criterion validity was well-established by examining the relationships between the HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale and selected physiological and psychological factors, and self-reported medication adherence (r = -0·20∼0·58). A two-factor model with a correlation between self-efficacy belief and outcome expectancy fitted the data well (model χ(2) = 3871·95, d.f. = 325, P < 001; CFA = 0·96; RMSEA = 0·046)., Conclusion: The HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale is a psychometrically sound measure of medication-taking self-efficacy for use by researchers and clinicians with people with HIV. The findings offer insight into the development of interventions to promote self-efficacy and medication adherence in persons with HIV., (© 2010 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Objective: Adherence to treatment for chronic illnesses, including HIV disease, is a complex process, and needs practical interventions in poorly resourced clinic settings., Methods: This study tested the feasibility of an adherence intervention in 73 HIV-infected individuals in a Deep South public clinic based on Fisher & Fisher's Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model., Results: There was high baseline adherence and unexpectedly high clinic attrition, and 27% of the intervention group received less than one-quarter of the planned intervention contacts. Refill rate was the adherence measure that correlated best with HIV viral load and CD4 count, and there was poor use of electronic adherence monitoring (MEMS). Interviewed individuals expressed positive feelings about audio-supported computer-assisted survey instruments (ACASI) and the intervention support., Conclusions: This process evaluation showed feasible study components in this population and setting. Lessons learned included: (1) clinic retention is an important part of adherence; (2) telephone interventions may need to add additional technology and flexibility to maximize dose; (3) ongoing fidelity monitoring is important with motivational interviewing; (4) refill rate was the most accurate adherence assessment; (5) MEMS was not well-accepted; (6) ACASI was easily used in this population; and (7) individuals appreciated adherence support from a consistent caring individual.

Healthcare reform continues to be an issue facing the American people whether they are politicians, healthcare providers, healthcare administrators, or patients and their families. Questions that are being addressed focus on improving access, reducing costs, delivering quality care, and having a more equitable distribution of benefits and burdens. Those persons who experience health disparities are more negatively affected by the current healthcare system, underscoring the need for reform. This article provides insight into some of the historical background and selected ethical concerns relevant to understanding healthcare reform as it relates to health disparities and offers some potential strategies that nurses might use to make a difference in the lives of the disparate groups of patients and families for whom they care.

Violations of patient confidentiality occur all too frequently. Conversations about patients and their care can be heard throughout hospitals. Although these conversations are necessary to manage the care of patients, the breach of confidentiality is of concern because of where the discussions occur and what is being communicated in public places. Healthcare professionals, including nurses, are at risk in matters of patient confidentiality. This article discusses confidentiality and its relationship to privacy and the trust relationship that healthcare professionals have with their patients, and offers some suggestions to uphold confidentiality within the healthcare setting.

Background: Researchers have been conducting efficacy and effectiveness studies on interventions that address medication-taking behavior in patients with HIV infection. However, they also must examine the fidelity to the research protocol for the delivery of the intervention., Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the level of fidelity to each of the specified end points (number of intervention sessions, session duration, number of telephone calls per session, the length of time between sessions, sessions with multiple interventions, and attrition from the intervention protocol) in the delivery of the 12-week, nurse-delivered, structured telephone intervention designed to improve medication adherence and to determine the factors (race, gender, and socioeconomic status) related to participation in the intervention., Methods: This descriptive correlational study was a substudy of a larger randomized clinical trial (N = 200) testing the effectiveness of a 12-week nurse-delivered intervention designed to improve medication adherence to antiretroviral medications in persons with HIV infection. The Intervention Tracking Form was used to collect data on all intervention delivery end points during the delivery of the structured intervention. A sociodemographic questionnaire was used to collect the sociodemographic characteristics of the sample., Results: Two thirds of the sample (n = 66) were male, and slightly more than half were White. The average age was 39.68 (SD = 7.98) years. The average number of intervention sessions delivered was 8.1 (SD = 4.07). Participants were more likely to receive the first five intervention sessions (n = 77, 77.8%), and 21 (21.2%) dropped out of treatment before it was completed. Nearly one quarter (n = 24, 24.2%) of the sample had doubled-up interventions. Intervention sessions lasted, on average, 11.3 min. Typically, more than one telephone call was needed before the participant was reached (M = 2.2). The mean number of days between sessions was 11.5 days. Women were more likely to have doubled-up interventions (p = .036). There was a marginally significant difference (p = .075) in the number of sessions received between the Whites and non-Whites: Whites (M = 8.8, SD = 3.9) received slightly more sessions compared with non-Whites (M = 7.24, SD = 4.2). When examining the interaction effects between the demographic factors considered, a race-by-income effect was observed for the mean number of attempts to contact the participant (p = .044)., Discussion: These results demonstrate a lack of fidelity to the research intervention protocol. Factors beyond the researchers' control may have influenced fidelity to the intervention protocol.

Privacy, anonymity, and informed consent are the hallmarks of current research conduct. How do the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations regarding individually identified health information and protected health information affect research? The purpose of this article is to discuss ways that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is influencing the conduct of research, including the implications for institutional review boards, recruitment of subjects, obtaining consent, access to data, de-identification of data, authorization to disclose data, and the processing, transmission, and storage of collected data.

Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patients' basic rights to privacy and their control over the disclosure of their personal health information. Advances in and the more widespread use of communication technology were increasing the public's concerns over the ease with which their health information could be transmitted, how protected that information was during such transmissions, and their lack of approval for the use of that information by known and unknown third parties. This article, the first of two papers focusing on HIPAA, discusses HIPAA from the clinical perspective and focuses primarily on the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Under what circumstances can a covered entity disclose protected health information? What are the ethical issues inherent in HIPAA? What does HIPAA require of covered entities? What are the implications of HIPAA for professional nurses? The goal of HIPAA is to ensure the protection of confidential health information through having appropriate security systems to guard against unintentional disclosure of that information.

Functional health illiteracy is a silent disability demanding the attention of healthcare professionals because it affects millions of people in the United States. Patients are reluctant to disclose this problem because they fear discrimination and stigmatization. Inadequate health literacy raises ethical questions because it is a barrier to healthcare and results in poor health outcomes. The purposes of this article are to provide an overview of functional health illiteracy, identify related ethical concerns, and discuss selected, relevant nursing implications. Nurses are in a unique position to serve as advocates, mediators, and translators for their patients who are functionally health illiterate.

The successful recruitment of participants is essential to the research process. To increase the rate of subject participation, investigators have to rely on help from health care providers who often serve as gatekeepers to potential research study subjects. These well-meaning professionals may limit subject participation in a study involving vulnerable populations under the guise of protecting these individuals from harm. We describe some of the characteristics of vulnerable populations affecting their recruitment into research studies. We examine the ethical conflicts that occur when health care professionals control access to these subjects during recruitment for research studies. Finally, we discuss the implications for practice and research designed to protect the rights of vulnerable populations participating in research. We identify collaboration and dialogue between researchers, health care providers, and members of the potential subject populations as most important in recruiting sufficient numbers of subjects to ensure the scientific merit of the study., (Copyright 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Eradicating health disparities and increasing health-related quality of life are the overall goals of Healthy People 2010. To achieve these goals requires that healthcare providers have an understanding of respect for individuals, trust, and implications of distributing resources equitably within society. The purposes of this article are to discuss health disparities and to briefly describe how ethics helps healthcare providers address health disparities. In addition, strategies that professional nurses can incorporate into their clinical practice in order to reduce health disparities are presented.