| PROJECT COUNTRY | PROJECT LEADERSHIP |
|---|---|
| China | Jane Simoni, PhD Deepa Rao, PhD Weichao Yuwen, PhD |
Description
In prior work, we developed a computer-delivered program titled “Turning to Sunshine” (http://tinyurl.com/turningsunshine) that is now ready for formal evaluation.
Research Design: We proposed to evaluate our computer-based counseling program in a pilot trial with 66 HIV+ men and women.
The 3-month intervention will be compared to an enhanced treatment as usual, with baseline and immediate post-intervention assessments of depression, medication adherence, and clinical biomarkers of health (VL and CD4). The goal is to obtain a preliminary assessment of feasibility, acceptability, and some indication of potential efficacy of the intervention to assist in securing funding for a fully powered randomized controlled trial.
At a local HIV primary care clinic where our Chinese collaborators are currently engaged in research, we will recruit our sample. Once enrolled, they will be asked to complete a paper-and-pencil survey of approximately one hour as a baseline assessment. We will extract from medical records applicable information on their illness and health status including precise date of diagnosis, treatment regimen, pharmacy refill records, and history of VL and CD4 labs.