| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 公共衛生研究所 === 94 === 1. Abstract
With the increasing numbers of HIV/AIDS patients in Taiwan it is likely that people living with HIV/AIDS in general and patients in residential care facilities and prisoners in particular face some basic needs especially psychosocial needs. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the needs of HIV/AIDS patients in outpatient clinics, prisons and residential care facilities in northern region of Taiwan. A structured questionnaire was designed. From December 2005 to April 2006, 171 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) from the outpatient special AIDS clinics of the Taipei City Hospital, 148 HIV-1-infected persons from Taipei Detention Centers and Taoyuan Prisons and and 48 PLWHAs from two residential care facilities in Taipei participated in this study. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS 12.0). The results showed that regarding the knowledge of CD4 count and viral load, one-third of the all the participants didn’t know their CD4 count (32%) and their viral load (37.8%). The need of information on HIV/AIDS, the support from health care workers and the personal support were the most needed items among PLWHAs. However, the following three items were most needed among PLWHAs from the residential care facilities: financial assistance to cope with daily personal livelihood, transportation, and personal relations. The perceived physical and psychological healths were particularly weak among PLWHAs in residential care facilities. Patients in residential care facilities and prisons tended to need more psychological support and social service assistances compare to those in outpatient clinic. The survival strategies were mostly based on nutrition, antiretroviral therapy, exercise, care given by family member and peer support, however, work seemed to be very important for patients living in halfway houses. In conclusion, the lack of information on HIV/AIDS suggests that more counseling and information should be provided to the patients. The fact that most of the patients in prisons have never received CD4 count and the viral load tests indicates that the ministry of justice should provide these tests in prisons.
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