Implementation and evaluation of an HIV/AIDS intervention program to improve student attitudes toward providing care

This study was undertaken to describe and demonstrate the effectiveness of an HIV/AIDS Intervention Program (HAIP) designed to improve first-year pharmacy students ’ attitudes toward providing care to HIV-positive and/or AIDS (HIV/AIDS) patients. The HAIP involves an AIDS infected male discussing his con-dition with University of Georgia’s first-year pharmacy students. During the HAIP, the patient reveals his feelings toward HIV/AIDS, the way the disease affects his life, the importance of medication therapy in managing his disease, and the role his pharmacist plays in his health care. To measure the value of the HAIP on students ’ attitudes toward providing care to HIV/AIDS patients, in April 1996, 1997, and 1998, each first-year student (n=309) was given the 18-item HIV/AIDS Attitude Scale for Pharmacy Students (HAS-PS) prior to and after the HAIP. Two-hundred and ninety students completed the pre and post HAS-PS surveys. Pair wise t-test with Bonforroni’s adjustment were used to detect differences between stu-dents ’ pre-test and post-test scores for the HAS-PS. Students scored significantly higher on the HAS-PS after the HAIP (86.59±12.74) than before the HAIP (79.28±13.72), indicating more positive attitudes toward caring for HIV/AIDS patients (n=290; P<0.05). Results of the study document that the HAIP, a patient-centered program, was successful in improving students ’ attitudes toward providing care for HIV/AIDS patients