Start the conversation

Rita Bratovich
November 7, 2022

Most people will only visit a doctor when they are ill or need medication, and the interaction can sometimes feel a bit rushed. But if you are a person living with HIV (PLHIV) you likely need more than a 15-minute consultation to address all the things that may help improve your health and overall quality of life.

You and your healthcare provider should act as a team, equally invested in improving your health outcomes. By bringing all your concerns to the table you enable your doctor to have a big-picture understanding of your health needs and consequently take a more holistic approach to your care.

Having an open conversation with your healthcare provider is highly beneficial, and it is something you are perfectly entitled to. You know there’s more going on with you than physiological symptoms: you might be under financial or emotional strain, you might be feeling lonely or in need of help.

You might also have specific concerns about your treatment: are you on the right care plan? What are the eventualities you should plan for? What other assistance is available to you?

All these things can lead to anxiety if left unaddressed, contributing to a poorer quality of life.

Before you attend an appointment, prepare a list of questions and points for discussion. These can include health issues, concerns with regard to ongoing healthcare, questions about the future and ageing well with HIV, and social, mental, and lifestyle impacts of managing your healthcare.

One of the most important aspects of your healthcare is to improve your quality of life.

The PozQoL Scale is an extremely useful tool that can help you and your doctor measure your quality of life. It provides a checklist that can help you identify and focus in on particular aspects of your health and lifestyle that need attention.

The PozQol Scale is a questionnaire specifically designed by and for people living with HIV, consisting of thirteen statements; a respondent rates each one depending on how strongly they agree or disagree with the statements.

The questions cover four areas of life that are deemed health-related quality of life domains:

The psychological domain, which includes mood, coping, hope for, or fear of the future, and self-worth.
The social domain, which is about personal and social life. It includes feelings of belonging, support, and social stigma.
The health concerns domain, which is about how someone feels about their own health. It includes health-related worries and energy. It also includes how easy they find it to manage HIV and HIV treatment.
The functional domain, which is about whether a person feels that they can live what they would call a “normal” life. It includes independence, meaningful occupation, and good standard of living.

The PozQol Scale is not a test, nor is it a screening tool. It is an aid for you and your doctor to help recognise, address, and improve areas of your life affected by your health. Using the PozQol Scale and having robust discussions with your healthcare provider can help make you more proactive rather than reactive in dealing with your health.

Prepare for your next appointment now. Take some time to really think about what’s going on in your life. How are you feeling and what help do you need?

Write these things down.

Consider asking for help from a Peer Navigator available through your local HIV community organisation. There is a list on the NAPWHA website.

So, start the conversation now.

Visit PozQoL.org for more information about the PozQoL Scale, including detail on using the Scale and frequently asked questions.

Sponsored by ViiV Healthcare