Feasibility of implementing a same-day electronic screening tool for clinical assessment to measure patient-reported outcomes for eliciting actionable information on adherence to HIV medication and related factors in a busy Canadian urban HIV clinic

Background: An optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is fundamental for suppression of HIV viral load and favourable treatment outcomes. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are effective tools for improving patient–provider communication and focusing providers’ awareness on current health problems. The objectives of this analysis were (1) to determine the feasibility of implementing an electronic screening tool to measure PROs in a Canadian HIV clinic to obtain information on ART adherence and related factors and (2) to determine the factors related to sub-optimal adherence. Methods: This implementation research with a convenience sample of 600 people living with HIV (PLWH) was conducted in a busy, academic, urban HIV clinic in Toronto, Canada. PLWH were approached to participate in PRO assessments just prior to their in-clinic appointments, including health-related domains such as mental health, housing, nutrition, financial stress and medication adherence, and responses were summarized on a single sheet available for providers to review. Feasibility of implementing PROs was assessed by quantifying response rate, completion rate, time taken and participation rate. Medication adherence was elicited by self-report of the percentage of prescribed HIV medications taken in the last month. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were estimated from logistic regression models to identify factors associated with adherence of