Individual satisfaction is associated with increased retention in HIV/AIDS care services and adherence to treatment. This study assessed factors associated with individual satisfaction at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and compared the proportions of satisfaction at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and after three months of follow-up. Face-to-face interviews were carried out among 398 individuals of three HIV/ AIDS healthcare services in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Variables included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, perception about healthcare services, and domains of quality of life. Individuals that rated the quality of healthcare services as good or very good were classified as satisfied. A logistic regression analysis of the association between independent variables and individual satisfaction was performed. The proportion of individual satisfaction with healthcare services was 95.5% at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and 96.7% after three months and these changes were not statistically significant (p = 0.472). The physical domain of quality of life was found to be associated with satisfaction at the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (OR = 1.38; CI = 1.11-1.71; p = 0.003). Training and supervision of health professionals for addressing the needs of individuals with lower levels of physical domain of quality of life may improve satisfaction with HIV/ AIDS care.
Keywords: HIV; Patient satisfaction; health services research.