The HIVSRQ is a self-completion measure of symptoms associated with HIV and its treatment, assessing the degree to which patients are bothered by applicable symptoms.
The HIVSRQ includes a total of 64 items, each divided into two parts. Part (a) asks respondents to indicate if they have experienced the symptom in recent weeks (i.e. about 4 weeks), regardless of the cause. Part (b) asks respondents to indicate how much the symptom bothers them. Options include: not at all, a little, moderately, a lot. If the answer to part (a) is ‘No’, respondents are asked to go straight to the next symptom. The HIVSRQ also includes three blank items for respondents to complete if they have experiences any symptoms not already mentioned.
The HIVSRQ is designed for use with adults diagnosed with HIV. The questionnaire may be administered by mail or in clinic for a range of purposes including:
- an assessment tool with individuals;
- an assessment tool with groups of patients;
- a broad cross-sectional survey instrument;
- a routine part of clinical audit cycles;
- an outcome measure for clinical research trials evaluating new treatments.
