Outcomes of a health education intervention in a sample of patients infected by HIV, most of them injection drug users:: possibilities and limitations

We studied the receptivity of a population of HIV-infected patients to the development of a group educational intervention in order to enhance the adherence to therapy. We designed a group educational activity conducted by family physicians and directed to patients with HIV infection treated with antiretrovirals for at least six months. We conducted a randomized trial that compared two interventions: an educational intervention plus individual counsel or the last option alone. We studied their clinical situation, adherence to therapy and familial support. We offered 115 patients (66.9% injection drug users (IDUs), 69.6% males) the opportunity to be included in our trial, but 73.9% of them refused. No group with four or more participants was formed. Fifty-nine per cent refused to be included claiming personal reasons and 32.9% cited trouble in their jobs. There was a non-significant trend to accept in the case of women (p = 0.19), patients with AIDS (p = 0.11) and non-adherent patients (p = 0.08). This trend was significant in the group of women with AIDS (p = 0.01) and non-adherent women (p = 0.05). We concluded that HIV-infected patients, mainly IDUs, are not receptive to group educational programmes. The design of future interventions must take into account the patients' characteristics.