AIDSQuest: The HIV/AIDS Survey Library
Survey Summaries

HOPES (HIV Overview of Problem Situations)

Overview
These surveys were conducted as cross-sectional, patient-completed written surveys and interviews in medical centers serving HIV-infected patients in the Los Angeles community. This included UCLA, veterans affairs medical centers, and a county hospital; additional data were contributed from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center CMV Retinitis Clinic. The patients (n = 318) with HIV infection included 37 percent asymptomatic, 20 percent ARC, 25 percent AIDS, and 18 percent AIDS with cancer—all were receiving health services at one of the above sites. Measured sociodemographic characteristics of the patients included: age, sex, race, HIV risk factor, and education. The sample of patients resembled the general population with HIV infection in the Los Angeles area at the time.

Methodology/validity
HOPES was adapted from a previously validated cancer tool. The adaptation of the cancer quality of life instrument to HIV appears to have face and content validity, according to patients and health professionals who care for HIV-infected patients. HOPES' structure has a similar structure to the cancer instrument following factor analyses, which results in five summary scales representing the physical, psychosocial, medical interaction, sexual, and significant other/partners domains. The HOPES is an excellent tool for identifying the problems and needs of patients with HIV infection and for assessing their quality of life. It is reliable, valid, and acceptable for patients. This tool is useful in developing a normative database.¹

¹ Schag, C.A., P.A. Ganz, B. Kahn. 1992. "Assessing the needs and quality of life of patients with HIV infection: Development of the HIV overview of problems-evaluation system (HOPES)," Quality of Life Resource 1: 397–413.

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This page updated 21 August 2006

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