For 30 years, the Unité Hospitalière de Recherche, d’Enseignement et de Soins du SIDA (UHRESS) for Quebec City and Eastern Quebec has treated and assisted patients with HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis or both. The UHRESS assists people from all walks of life, including newcomers to Canada, child patients and their families, and people with mental health issues or various addictions.

In addition to their vulnerable situation, these individuals must deal with a chronic illness that is still fraught with prejudice and stigma. The UHRESS team responds to their medical and psychosocial needs, encouraging patients to lead healthy lives by getting active, eating well and having fun. However, their often precarious status can make it difficult to follow our recommendations.

With this in mind, we have developed a flexible, fun approach that provides each individual with customized support in the form of gift certificates for products and services that will help them achieve this goal. These tools have improved patient attendance at appointments, quality of life and adherence to antiretroviral medications that are essential for our patients to maintain good health, which in turn helps reduce the risk of spreading the disease(s).
Our goal is not only to make recommendations but also to provide tools that help patients follow those recommendations using an inclusive, understanding and compassionate approach.