179 Patient experiences with VBHC interventions at the HIV outpatient clinic 6 Table 1: Participants’ demographics. Male (n=22) Female (n=8) Mean age in years (range) 51 (34-74) 48 (37-65) Country of origin The Netherlands 18 4 Other 4 4 Completed quality of life questionnaire 20 5 Patients are willing to complete the generic quality of life questionnaire The first VBHC intervention consisted of the implementation of a quality of life questionnaire which patients were asked to fill in before their faceto-face consultation. The majority of the participants who completed the questionnaire responded positively to its implementation (n=22, 88%). They expressed no objection to completing the questionnaire especially if it gives the specialist additional information about how they are feeling. To illustrate, one participant (participant 8) said, “Yes, fine. For me a small effort and if it works better for the specialist to have a starting point for the conversation then that’s fine. And if something is wrong, I will say it anyway. But it is fine to do every time.” A small number of participants (n=5, 17%) felt that the questionnaire did not provide any additional value, especially if the patients do not experience any health problems. As one participant (participant 23) put it, “Yes, I filled it in. However, it all feels very double. I filled it in and then at some point it was clear there are no issues, is there anything else? No. Yes, well, that questionnaire itself is annoying. I think such a questionnaire is a bureaucratic solution. I don’t find the system useful; I shall put it that way.” Twenty-one participants were asked their opinion about the contents of the questionnaire. The majority of the participants (n=19, 90%) thought that the content of the questionnaire was general but appropriate. Seven participants (33%) expressed the need for additional questions related to HIV and the use of medication, while thirteen participants (62%) did not see the added value of adding HIV related questions to the questionnaire. As one participant (participant 17) said, “I actually think that the combination of the lab results, this kind of questionnaires and the topics that come up during the conversations with the doctor and the nurse provide you with a good picture, a total picture,
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