Health-related quality of life in HIV patients

Abstract

Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) continues to be significantly impacted by the numerous health and social issues that PLHIV continues to face. The UNAIDS Worldwide Guides System emphasizes the need of raising individuals' levels of contentment, however, it fails to specify which instruments should constitute what percentages of HRQoL. Methods: The purpose of this research was to conduct a systematic review of HRQoL tools for PLHIV. Articles published between January 2010 and June 2023 were used to compile this systematic review. Results: The most commonly used instruments were (WHOQOL-HIV BREF)22%, (EQ-5D-5L)17%, (SF-36)13%, (SF-12)13% (MOS-HIV)13%, (HAT-QOL)13%and (WHOQOL-BREF)9%. The majority of instruments (6/7; 86%) addressed domains including mobility, daily activities, discomfort, negative emotions, good emotions, energy, and social factors. More than half (4/7; 57%) addressed broad health concerns, such as mental health, medical care, social support, financial stability, sexual health, and quality of healthcare. Domains covered by (2/7; 29%) instrument were self-esteem, mortality, spirituality, environmental and personal safety. Conclusion: Wide range of instruments have been utilized to survey HRQoL in PLHIV, and the decision of instrument might be founded on the qualities and reasoning for utilizing that specific instrument. Future researcher should look into the use of these instruments.