About PozQoL
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PozQoL: An empirically validated scale to measure the health-related quality of life of people living with HIV
What is PozQoL?
PozQoL is a 13-item questionnaire designed specifically to measure the quality of life (QoL) of people living with HIV (PLHIV).
PozQoL is Australia’s leading QoL scale for PLHIV, and it is increasingly being used internationally.
Domains of wellbeing
PozQoL measures quality of life across four key domains of wellbeing, reflecting the broad experiences of PLHIV. Understanding these domains can help facilitate a holistic approach to HIV care and support, enabling services to align with the real needs of PLHIV.
The psychological domain reflects a person’s outlook on their sense of self, their life, and their future. It includes:
- Mood
- Coping
- Hope or fear about the future
- Self-worth
PozQoL can help service providers identify PLHIV who are experiencing mental health challenges that may otherwise go unnoticed.
The social domain reflects a person’s personal and social life. It includes feelings of:
- Belonging
- Support
- Social stigma
PozQoL can help service providers identify PLHIV who are experiencing isolation or discrimination.
The health concerns domain reflects how someone feels about their own health. It includes:
- Health-related worries and energy
- How easy they find managing HIV and HIV treatment
PozQoL can help service providers identify PLHIV who may appear to be in good physical health but are finding it difficult to manage their health or are worried about their health deteriorating in the future.
The functional domain reflects whether a person feels they can live what they consider a ‘normal’ life. It includes:
- Independence
- Meaningful occupation
- A good standard of living
PozQoL can help service providers identify PLHIV who may appear otherwise healthy but are struggling to independently perform activities of daily living.
Why use PozQoL?
PozQoL provides valuable insights that empower service providers and researchers to better understand QoL and improve care and services for PLHIV.
- For clinicians: Quickly identify client priorities and monitor progress to provide patient-centred care
- For community organisations: Assess program impact, improve service delivery, and use insights to secure funding
- For researchers: Generate robust, validated data on PLHIV wellbeing to inform studies, reports, and policy development
Key features
PozQoL helps service providers and researchers better understand quality-of-life outcomes and tailor care to meet the needs of PLHIV.
The PozQoL scale was designed for practical application in clinical and community settings.
With only 13 items, the scale enables service providers to quickly identify areas of concern and spend more time focusing on client needs and priorities.
ℹ️Learn more about how to incorporate PozQoL into your work »
Reflects PLHIV priorities
PozQoL was developed with the principles of the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA), ensuring that the scale reflects the priorities and lived experiences of PLHIV. Their input was central to identifying key wellbeing domains and validating the scale.
Reflects the realities of contemporary HIV care and support
The PozQoL scale was developed between 2016 and 2019 in response to a growing need for a quality-of-life tool that reflects the experiences of people living with HIV today.
Unlike older tools that were created before significant advances in HIV treatment, PozQoL aligns with the realities of contemporary concepts such as TasP (Treatment as Prevention) and U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable).
ℹ️Learn more about how PozQoL was developed with PLHIV leadership »
PozQoL is an empirically validated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scale.
This means that PozQoL:
- Was tested through rigorous research with PLHIV and service providers working with PLHIV
- Can reliably and accurately assess health-related quality of life among people living with HIV
PozQoL is available in over 30 languages, making it accessible to diverse populations.
All translations have been rigorously checked for accuracy and cultural appropriateness.
PozQoL is free to use for non-commercial purposes worldwide.
You can use any PozQoL translation without permission for non-commercial purposes, including:
- Research, including clinical trials
- Clinics
- Community organisations
- Other healthcare provision
Developed by PLHIV, for PLHIV
PozQoL was developed in response to a call from HIV services in Australia for a reliable, easy-to-use tool to measure quality of life.
Built on the principles of the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA), the PozQoL project was a partnership led by people living with HIV, including researchers from:
- Australia’s national peak peer-led PLHIV organisation: National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA)
- Three state-based peer-led PLHIV organisations: Living Positive Victoria, Positive Life NSW, and Queensland Positive People
- Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS): A leading Australian research centre in the area of social responses to HIV
- ViiV Healthcare: A global specialist HIV company
The creation of PozQoL was guided by feedback from PLHIV and those working directly with them. Through extensive testing and refinement, PozQoL became a validated, practical tool, reflecting the priorities of PLHIV.
Since its development, PozQoL has since been implemented across diverse clinical, community, and research settings, helping organisations measure and improve the impact of their work.