Use of the Patient Generated Index to Identify Physical Health Challenges among People Living with HIV: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Many people living with HIV experience physical health challenges including mobility problems, pain, and fatigue. Purpose: To estimate how many people living with HIV identify physical health challenges as important using the patient generated index (PGI). Secondary Objectives: a. Identify factors associated with reporting physical health challenges; b. Identify relationships between reporting physical health challenges and standardized health-related quality of life (HRQOL) items; and c. Estimate the extent to which reporting a physical health challenge explains downstream HRQOL outcomes. Methods: Cross-sectional data came from a large Canadian cohort. We administered the PGI and three standardized HRQOL measures. PGI text threads were coded according to the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Regression, discriminant analysis, and chi-square tests were used. Results: Of 865 participants, 248 [28.7%; 95% CI (25.7%, 31.8%)] reported a physical health challenge on the PGI. Participants with better pain (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.90) and vitality (OR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.63, 0.80) by 20 points had lower odds of reporting a physical health challenge. Those who reported a physical health challenge had significantly lower HRQOL on some standardized items. Conclusion: The PGI is well-suited to identify the physical challenges of people living with HIV.