Self-Managing HIV and Chronic Disease

The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized control trial of a behavioral intervention delivered by counselors via telephone to determine if this is an efficacious method for improving medication adherence and health-related quality of life for persons who are 50 and older and living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions.

450 adult HIV+ patients aged 50 or older will be randomized to one of three arms. 150 will be assigned to receive a series of ten 30-minute phone calls every two weeks from a counselor. 150 will be assigned to an attention-matched comparison arm, and will receive 10 sessions in a didactic telephone group. 150 will be assigned to a information-matched control arm and will receive the book Living Well with HIV \& AIDS. Letters will be sent by AIDS Service Organizations inviting interested clients to call the study's 800 number to learn more about the study and to be screened for enrollment. Posters and brochures will also be posted in public areas of the ASOs. The individualized intervention combines problem-solving, with motivation and self-management. This trial will allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention on both specific HIV behavioral outcomes and non-disease-specific outcomes.