Objective: To describe the ARPAS study and analyse the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and patient preferences with regards the antiretroviral treatment (ART), as well as the relationship between compliance and satisfaction with the ART and quality of life. Method: The ARPAS study has looked at adult patients diagnosed with HIV and on ART, using a protocol including sociodemographic, clinical, therapeutic and quality of life variables. Compliance was estimated using the SMAQ questionnaire; satisfaction was measured using the ESTAR questionnaire, as was quality of life with the MOS-HIV Health Survey, and treatment preferences were determined using a questionnaire prepared based on the consensus of an expert team in the field of therapeutic monitoring of these patients. A stratified univariate analysis according to compliance and a logistic regression analysis were carried out to study the association of the independent variables with compliance. Results: A total of 234 patients were evaluated (73.7% male; 43.2 ± 7.8 years of age). The average time since diagnosis and from the initiation of ART was 10.1 ± 5.7 and 7.4 ± 4.4 years respectively. The therapeutic regime of twice-daily doses (bid) was applied to 71% of the patients, and once daily (qd) in 21%. A total of 43% of the patients fulfilled compliance criteria according to the SMAQ. The percentage of the patients with qd complying with the ART was greater than the remaining dosing schedules (55.3 vs. 45.1%), although not significantly (p = 0.251). No differences were observed in the sociodemographic and clinical variables in terms of compliance. An elective preference was observed for the simplest of the therapeutic regimes which contrasts with the evaluation of the ART characteristics, where power is given preference over durability, tolerance and lastly, the convenience of taking the ART. The univariate analysis showed the highest score on the satisfaction scales (50.4 ± 7.8 vs. 46.5 ± 9.7, p = 0.001) and quality of life (81.6 ± 10.7 vs. 75.7 ± 11.8, p < 0.001) in compliant patients with respect to non-compliers. The multivariate models confirm the existence of a significant association between compliance and satisfaction, and between compliance and quality of life. Conclusions: Patients consider treatment with a powerful, long-lasting and well-tolerated ART a priority and among their preferences for different treatment regimes, once-daily dosing regimes are highlighted. The ARPAS study showed a direct relationship between compliance and satisfaction with ART, and between compliance and quality of life, in a manner that the strategies improving compliance must necessarily include aspects that allow them to improve patient satisfaction with treatment and quality of life.
