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 phar macy students' attitudes toward providing care to HIV-positive and/or AIDS (HIV/AIDS) patients. The HAIP involves an AIDS infected male discussing his condition with University of Georgia's first-year pharmacy students. Durin g the HAIP, the patient reveals his feelings toward HIV/AIDS, the way the d isease affects his life, the importance of medication therapy in managing h is disease, and the role his pharmacist plays in his health care. To measur e 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=3 09) was given the 18-item HIV/AIDS Attitude Scale for Pharmacy Students (HA S-PS) prior to and after the HAIP. Two-hundred and ninety students complete d the pre and post HASPS surveys, Pairwise t-tests with Bonforroni's adjust ment were used to detect differences between students' pre-test and post-te st scores for the HAS-PS. Students scored significantly higher on the HAS-P S after the HAIP (86.59+/-12.74) than before the HAIP (79.28+/-13.72), indi cating 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 pr ogram, was successful in, improving Students' attitudes toward providing ca re for HIV/AIDS patients.