The abbreviated case history of John L. offers us little information about John's own preferences and beliefs. In my own practice, I find it essential to explore each patient's experience with, and attitudes about, HIV treatment, both personal and vicarious. I encourage a patient to go home and talk about treatment choices to half a dozen people whose opinions the patient values. For this discussion I use patient-education materials, and sketches that I've drawn, as visual aids. I particularly emphasize the importance of talking to people who are skeptical about, or critical of, the use of antiretroviral agents.
All antiretroviral regimens have a common goal.
Most antiretroviral agents must be taken twice-daily, and several, notably ZDV and the protease inhibitors saquinavir and indinavir, must be taken three times a day. I have had much better luck keeping patients on their chosen drug regimen when they have come back to me saying that they have considered the likely side effects, have thought about the criticisms offered by skeptics, and have decided that they want to begin antiretroviral therapy after contemplating all of these factors. This article is from HIV Newsline .