Title: The Dialogues Project: A Public-Private Partnership for Education
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Section/SPIG: HIV/AIDS
Issue Date:
The HIV/AIDS Section is a proud participant in a public-private partnership for the education of consumers and health care providers. Agouron, a Pfizer company, partnered with the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), the HIV/AIDS Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the National Association of AIDS Education and Training Centers (NAAETC), and physician advisors to develop a two-part program to enhance communication between patients with HIV disease and their health care providers.
The first part of “Dialogues: Education and Treatment for a Well Planned Future” -- a national education initiative to help patients get the facts about HIV and get involved in their own care -- was successfully launched June 3, 2003. The celebrity spokespersons for the project, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of the popular hip hop group TLC, were on hand in New York City to make appearances promoting the project. “Like our music, the Dialogues program empowers people,” said Watkins, who has a close friend who passed away from HIV/AIDS. “Sadly, many patients do not know the basics about their disease and that with treatment they may live a long time with HIV.”
Bridging the communication gap is even more critical given the changing face of HIV. Some people with HIV, including African Americans and Latinos who are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, may face barriers to HIV treatment based on presumptive judgments about their ability to play a role in their own care. Furthermore, up to 50 percent of patients with HIV also suffer from other illnesses like depression and Hepatitis C, making it even more complicated to treat them. Thomas adds, “with HIV disproportionately affecting African Americans and women, we’ve chosen to speak out through Dialogues so people with HIV get the information they need so that they can become a part of decisions that impact how they feel and how their virus responds to treatment.”
Dialogues delivers easy-to-understand HIV information on a range of topics and quick reference materials like definitions of key medical terms and tips on managing side effects. Anyone can access the program by calling toll-free 1-800-576-6600 or logging on to <www.HIV-Dialogues.com>. Resources include a patient guide and personal health planner called Talking, Living, Connecting: Managing HIV and a tip card on managing diarrhea, one of the common treatment side effects.
The second part of the Dialogues project, providing special training to health care providers, will be launched in the coming year. Susan Fulmer, the Chair-elect of the HIV/AIDS Section of APHA, is the Section’s representative to the project.