LIFE program gets results, studies say
Roger Brigham Bay Area Reporter 08/03/2006
___________________________
Two studies now offer support for the effectiveness of The L.I.F.E. Program®1 in increasing adherence to HIV treatment.
The quote from Jeffrey Leiphart, Ph.D., Director of Shanti’s LIFE Institute, summarizes the studies’ findings about adherence:
The studies showed positive outcomes in all areas, especially in medication adherence, psychological functioning, and reduced substance abuse.
A state Department of Health Services study from 2001-05 declared,
A separate national multi-agency study conducted during 2002-05 of LIFE programs operating in California, Florida, Missouri, and Massachusetts showed clients who completed the program reported significantly reduced physical health problems.
The LIFE program offers a multi-faceted approach to help HIV-infected clients obtain proper, ongoing medical care and medication, decrease risk-taking behaviors, and pursue health-building behaviors. The LIFE program began in San Francisco in 1999 and has been used as a prototype for similar programs in other states.
A full-sized diagram of the LIFE “Program Logic Model” is available by clicking on the thumbnail below.
Commentary
While the success of this program is itself heartening, the facts that (1) its effectiveness is being tested – repeatedly and (2) it is being replicated (and tested) elsewhere are even more impressive.
Footnotes
__________- L.I.F.E. stands for Learning Immune Function Enhancement. The L.I.F.E. Program® is a psycho-educational program for people living with HIV/AIDS. Information and the studies referenced here are available at the Program’s website: LIFE Program↩
