Social Course of Adherence to HAART in Active Drug Users

描述（由申请人提供）：在目前的“遵守时代”， 艾滋病毒/艾滋病流行，人们对法律的药物的能力提出了质疑， 使用者和其他边缘化群体遵守复杂的 积极抗逆转录病毒疗法（HAART）。这个为期三年的项目旨在 通过描述HAART依从性的模式和影响， 艾滋病毒阳性的活跃吸毒者。当前的目标是增加现有的 了解支持依从性的实用策略， 吸毒者、他们的临床医生和他们的社会密友可以 用于设计个性化的计划，以坚持HAART。长期 目标是促进HAART的使用并使其治疗获益最大化 为吸毒者个人提供服务，并减少 抗HAART的HIV病毒株的传播。该项目使用社会 从医学慢性病研究看医学课程 人类学作为一个概念框架。对HAART依从性的社会影响 （社会课程）将在一段时间内在随机选择的50人中进行检查 患有艾滋病毒/艾滋病的活跃非法吸毒者。研究参与者将从 Zinberg诊所的患者人群，一个多学科的初级保健 剑桥医院（剑桥，马萨诸塞州）的一个设施，为艾滋病毒感染者提供服务 和他们的家人数据收集将包括六个深入的、定性的 每隔两个月对每名研究参与者进行一次访谈（总计 300）。访谈数据将由从医疗信息中提取的信息补充。 记录数据分析将使用扎根理论方法和图表构建 从生命历程研究中改编的技术，开发两种类型的 描述性类别：坚持课程类别和社会影响 类别这些类别将作为制定和 评估以患者为中心、以临床医生为中心和其他 支持积极使用非法药物者坚持高效抗逆转录病毒疗法的战略 毒品

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the present "era of adherence" of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, questions are being raised about the ability of legal drug users and other marginalized groups to adhere to complex regimens of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART). This three-year project addresses these questions by describing patterns of and influences on adherence to HAART for HIV + active drug users over time. The immediate goal is to add to existing knowledge of practical strategies for supporting adherence, by devising strategies that drug users, their clinicians, and their social intimates can use in designing individualized plans for adherence to HAART. Long-term objectives are to facilitate access and maximize therapeutic benefit from HAART for individual drug users, and reduce the public health risk posed by the transmission of HAART-resistant strains of HIV. The project uses a social course perspective drawn from studies of chronic illness in medical anthropology as a conceptual framework. Social influences on adherence to HAART (social course) will be examined over time in a randomly selected group of 50 active illegal drug users with HIV/AIDS. Study participants will be drawn from the patient population of The Zinberg Clinic, a multidisciplinary primary care facility at The Cambridge Hospital (Cambridge, MA) that serves persons with HIV and their families. Data collection will consist of six in-depth, qualitative interviews conducted at two-month intervals with each study participant (Total 300). Interview data will be supplemented by information extracted from medical records. Data analysis will use grounded theory methods and chart construction techniques adapted from life course research to develop two types of descriptive categories: adherence course categories, and social influence categories. These categories will serve as the basis for formulating and assessing the feasibility of patient focused, clinician-focused, and other strategies for supporting adherence to HAART among active users of illegal drugs.