Noncompliance in people living with HIV: accuracy of defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the accuracy of the defining characteristics of the NANDA International nursing diagnosis, noncompliance, in people with HIV. METHOD: study of diagnostic accuracy, performed in two stages. In the first stage, 113 people with HIV from a hospital of infectious diseases in the Northeast of Brazil were assessed for identification of clinical indicators of noncompliance. In the second, the defining characteristics were evaluated by six specialist nurses, analyzing the presence or absence of the diagnosis. For accuracy of the clinical indicators, the specificity, sensitivity, predictive values and likelihood ratios were measured. RESULTS: the presence of the noncompliance diagnosis was shown in 69% (n=78) of people with HIV. The most sensitive indicator was, missing of appointments (OR: 28.93, 95% CI: 1.112-2.126, p = 0.002). On the other hand, nonadherence behavior (OR: 15.00, 95% CI: 1.829-3.981, p = 0.001) and failure to meet outcomes (OR: 13.41; 95% CI: 1.272-2.508; P = 0.003) achieved higher specificity. CONCLUSION: the most accurate defining characteristics were nonadherence behavior, missing of appointments, and failure to meet outcomes. Thus, in the presence of these, the nurse can identify, with greater security, the diagnosis studied.