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Biomedical subjects

Jeffrey D Fisher

Publications and source records attributed to Jeffrey D Fisher.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Involving behavioral scientists, health care providers, and HIV-infected patients as collaborators in theory-based HIV prevention and antiretroviral adherence interventions.

Health care providers are often hesitant to attempt health behavior change interventions with patients, although such interventions are frequently needed. When provider-initiated health behavior change interventions are attempted, they are often based on intuition or consist solely of delivering information and are insufficient to change behavior, rather than being based on well-validated and effective behavior change models. We argue that provider-initiated health behavior change interventions are effective and efficient if they are based on appropriate empirically validated theoretical models and developed in collaboration with behavioral scientists and patients. We present a new model for developing such collaborative interventions and initial evidence for its success.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2006

Sexual risk behaviour among HIV-positive individuals in clinical care in urban KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

We assessed the incidence and predictors of unprotected sex among 152 HIV-positive patients in clinical care in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Nearly 50% were sexually active; 30% of those reported unprotected sex. Alcohol use during sex, reporting forced sex, sex with a perceived HIV-positive partner, and sex with a casual partner predicted more unprotected sex, whereas HIV status disclosure was related to less unprotected sex. These findings highlight the need for linking HIV prevention and care in Africa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Visual analog scale of ART adherence: association with 3-day self-report and adherence barriers.

BACKGROUND: Brief self-reports of antiretroviral therapy adherence that place minimal burden on patients and clinic staff are promising alternatives to more elaborate adherence assessments currently in use. This research assessed the association between self-reported adherence on visual analog scale (VASs) and an existing, more complex self-reported measure of adherence, the AACTG, and the degree to which each method distinguished optimally and suboptimally adherent patients in terms of reported barriers to adherence. METHODS: HIV-infected patients (N = 147) at a southeastern US clinic completed a computerized assessment including an antiretroviral therapy adherence VAS, a modified version of the AACTG, and a measure of adherence. RESULTS: Adherence rates were comparable across the AACTG (81%) and VAS (87%); they significantly correlated (r = 0.585) and produced identical classification of optimal (>90%) or suboptimal (<90%) adherence for 66% of patients. In general, VAS scores tended to be higher than AACTG scores. Suboptimally adherent patients reported more adherence barriers than those classified as optimally adherent, and those so classified by the VAS reported considerably more barriers to adherence than those so classified by the AACTG. CONCLUSIONS: Results generally support the construct validity of the VAS and its use as an easily administered assessment tool that can identify patients with barriers to adherence who might benefit from adherence support interventions.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2006

Clinician-delivered intervention during routine clinical care reduces unprotected sexual behavior among HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a clinician-delivered intervention, implemented during routine clinical care, in reducing unprotected sexual behavior of HIV-infected patients. DESIGN: A prospective clinical trial comparing the impact of a clinician-delivered intervention arm vs. a standard-of-care control arm on unprotected sexual behavior of HIV-infected patients. SETTING: The 2 largest HIV clinics in Connecticut. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 497 HIV-infected patients, aged > or =18 years, receiving HIV clinical care. INTERVENTION: HIV clinical care providers conducted brief client-centered interventions at each clinical encounter that were designed to help HIV-infected patients reduce unprotected sexual behavior. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unprotected insertive and receptive vaginal and anal intercourse and unprotected insertive oral sex; unprotected insertive and receptive vaginal and anal intercourse only. RESULTS: HIV-infected patients who received the clinician-delivered intervention showed significantly reduced unprotected insertive and receptive vaginal and anal intercourse and insertive oral sex over a follow-up interval of 18 months (P < 0.05). These behaviors increased across the study interval for patients in the standard-of-care control arm (P < 0.01). For the measure of unprotected insertive and receptive vaginal and anal sex only, there was a trend toward a reduction in unprotected sex among intervention arm participants over time (P < 0.09), and a significant increase in unprotected sex in the standard-of-care control arm (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A clinician-delivered HIV prevention intervention targeting HIV-infected patients resulted in reductions in unprotected sex. Interventions of this kind should be integrated into routine HIV clinical care.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Experts outline ways to decrease the decade-long yearly rate of 40,000 new HIV infections in the US.

This paper presents data from a brief, anonymous, open-ended survey of 50 behavioral research experts in HIV prevention. Responses were received from 31 participants who provided input regarding the primary reasons they believe the rate of the HIV epidemic in the United States has persisted in recent years, and how they believe we can most efficiently decrease the current rate of new HIV infections in the United States. Four clusters of reasons suggested for the persistent rate of new infections: Intervention level reasons, Society level reasons, Person level reasons, and Multiple Risk Factor reasons. Three clusters of strategies suggested for decreasing the current rate: Improved Targeting of HIV Prevention efforts, Larg-Scale Changes to HIV prevention, and Integrating HIV Prevention into more aspects of society. Results are reviewed with the objective of providing a fresh perspective on the potential means for addressing the current HIV epidemic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy: an empirical test of the information-motivation-behavioral skills model.

Consistent and nearly perfect adherence is considered an essential requirement for HIV-positive patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to fully realize its life-extending benefits. The current study evaluated a comprehensive model of ART adherence--the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model. This model views adherence behavior as a function of the interrelations between adherence-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills. It hypothesizes that adherence-related information and motivation work through adherence-related behavioral skills to affect the initiation and maintenance of optimal ART adherence. In a series of structural equation models, the IMB model's critical constructs and assumptions were evaluated with a sample of 100 HIV-positive patients in clinical care. Across all analyses, the authors found support for the assumptions of the IMB model of ART adherence. Consistent with the model, adherence-related information and motivation related significantly to adherence-related behavioral skills, and behavioral skills related significantly to self-reported optimal adherence. Further, as predicted, the effects of information and motivation on self-reported adherence were mediated by adherence-related behavioral skills. Current study results are explored, and implications for adherence promotion interventions based on the model are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

An information-motivation-behavioral skills model of adherence to antiretroviral therapy.

HIV-positive persons who do not maintain consistently high levels of adherence to often complex and toxic highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens may experience therapeutic failure and deterioration of health status and may develop multidrug-resistant HIV that can be transmitted to uninfected others. The current analysis conceptualizes social and psychological determinants of adherence to HAART among HIV-positive individuals. The authors propose an information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model of HAART adherence that assumes that adherence-related information, motivation, and behavioral skills are fundamental determinants of adherence to HAART. According to the model, adherence-related information and motivation work through adherence-related behavioral skills to affect adherence to HAART. Empirical support for the IMB model of adherence is presented, and its application in adherence-promotion intervention efforts is discussed.

Anti-Retroviral Agents↗
PubMed2004

Clinician-initiated HIV risk reduction intervention for HIV-positive persons: Formative Research, Acceptability, and Fidelity of the Options Project.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct research on levels and dynamics of HIV risk behavior among HIV-positive patients in clinical care, use this research to design a clinician-initiated HIV prevention intervention for HIV-positive patients, and evaluate the acceptability of the intervention to clinicians and patients and the fidelity with which it can be delivered by clinicians. METHODS: Study 1 (elicitation research) involved focus groups with HIV-positive patients and HIV care clinicians to understand the dynamics of HIV risk behavior among HIV-positive patients and how to integrate HIV prevention into routine clinical care. Study 2 (acceptability and intervention fidelity) involved the evaluation of 1455 medical visits by experimental intervention patients (N = 231) for acceptability and fidelity of the clinician-initiated HIV prevention intervention. RESULTS: Elicitation research with patients and clinicians identified critical HIV prevention information, motivation, and behavioral skills deficits in HIV-positive patients as well as risky sexual behavior. These findings were integrated into a theory-based HIV prevention intervention initiated by clinicians that proved acceptable to clinicians and patients and that clinicians were able to implement with adequate fidelity. CONCLUSION: HIV prevention interventions by clinicians treating HIV-positive patients can and should be integrated into routine clinical care.

Connecticut↗
PubMed2002

Tests of the mediational role of preparatory safer sexual behavior in the context of the theory of planned behavior.

The present research details 2 empirical tests within the context of the theory of planned behavior (I. Ajzen & T. Madden, 1986) of the assumption that preparatory behaviors (e.g., discussing safer sex, obtaining condoms) play a mediational role in the relation between psychological variables (e.g., attitudes toward safer sex, social norms about safer sex) and condom use. The assumption of the mediational role of preparatory behaviors is examined in sexually experienced samples from 2 different populations: inner-city high school students (N = 226) and college students (N = 160). The results suggest that the mediational role of preparatory behaviors is a highly significant one. Results indicate no gender differences with regard to the main mediational hypotheses. The methodological, theoretical, and practical implications and importance of these findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Information-motivation-behavioral skills model-based HIV risk behavior change intervention for inner-city high school youth.

This study assessed the effects of 3 theoretically grounded, school-based HIV prevention interventions on inner-city minority high school students' levels of HIV prevention information, motivation, behavioral skills, and behavior. It involved a quasi-experimental controlled trial comparing classroom-based, peer-based, and combined classroom- and peer-based HIV prevention interventions with a standard-of-care control condition in 4 urban high schools (N = 1,532, primarily 9th-grade students). At 12 months postintervention, the classroom-based intervention resulted in sustained changes in HIV prevention behavior. This article discusses why both of the interventions involving peers were less effective than the classroom-based intervention at the 12-month follow-up and, more generally, suggests a set of possible limiting conditions for the efficacy of peer-based interventions.

Adolescent↗