Updating an HIV Knowledge Questionnaire With Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Through Expert Opinions in the United States Using Delphi Methodology: A Qualitative Study

Abstract Our study was designed to update the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire by incorporating pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) knowledge questions, as previous HIV knowledge tools lack this focus. Four rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with 47 expert participants, each with extensive HIV-related expertise (mean experience: 18.94 years). Expert participants rated item relevance on a scale of 0–3 and provided feedback. An item was removed if over 70% scored it two or less. The process continued until consensus was reached, defined as 80% of items scoring above two by more than 70% of expert participants, with no new suggestions. The final measure included 31 items covering general HIV knowledge, transmission modes, treatment, risk, and PrEP definitions, types, and dosages. Future research is essential to validate this tool for research and clinical settings, ensuring it accurately measures patients' diverse knowledge levels.