Promotion of Medication Adherence Program among AIDS Patients: Application of the I-Change Model

Background and Objective: Medication adherence has a critical role to play in the control and treatment of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The present research aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate an interventional program to promote medication adherence among AIDS patients referred to Behavioral Diseases Counseling Centers in Kermanshah using the I-Change model. Materials and Methods: The present research was conducted based on a quasi-experimental design on a total of 150 AIDS patients in Kermanshah in 2021. They were randomly selected and assigned to intervention and control (n=75 in each group) groups. The intervention development was based on the I-Change model needs assessment and intervention mapping approach. The collected data was evaluated before and three months after the implementation intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16). Results: The mean age of patients was 39.11±6.07 years (range: 22-51 years). After implementing the intervention, the intervention group obtained significantly higher mean scores in regular medication adherence behaviors (P<0.001, d=0.48) and knowledge (P=0.028, d=0.31), as well as lower scores in perceived barrier (P=0.020, d=0.35) compared to the control group. Conclusion: As evidenced by the results of the present study, the I-Change model can be used as a basis for the development of interventional programs to improve medication adherence among AIDS patients.