Physician-Patient Relationships, Patient Satisfaction, and Antiretroviral Medication Adherence Among HIV-Infected Adults Attending a Public Health Clinic

The goal of this project was to explore the connections between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients adherence to antiretroviral medication treatment regimens and their beliefs about and satisfaction with their primary care physicians. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 HIV-positive patients. Results showed that most patients were extremely satisfied with their current primary care physicians. When patients were dissatisfied with their care, it was often because there was a mismatch between the patient's expectations of care and the physician's consultation style. Results also showed that good quality physician-patient relationships tended to promote adherence while lesser quality relationships impeded it. Findings suggest that strengthening and promoting the bonds between physicians and HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients should be an absolute priority, at both the interpersonal level of physician-patient interactions but also at the organizational level.