Typology of quality of life experiences among persons living with HIV

This article develops a typology of 2,038 participants in 13 innovative HIV/AIDS treatment model service demonstration projects targeted to traditionally underserved populations. The typology is based on self-reported health-related quality of life levels. Eight clusters were identified that classify HIV/AIDS patients based on their reported health-related quality of life. Participants were clustered based on their overall levels of quality of life, as well as by deficits in specific areas of functioning such as energy level, physical impairment, and role impairment. However, factor analysis suggests that health-related quality of life as perceived by the HIV-positive participants is best represented as a single underlying dimension and an ordering of the types shows that they are consistently related, in the same order, to several criterion measures of impairment. The results suggest that a general categorization of patients with HIV in terms of quality of life is more meaningful than an assessment of the relative areas of impairment. Since the impairment ratings were also self-reported, analyses relating quality of life clusters to actual symptom levels and healthcare utilization are needed. Implications for the assessment of health-related quality of life and the evaluation of service delivery programs for persons living with HIV are discussed.