Evaluation of the potential benefits and cost of mantram therapy for HIV care

Individuals with HIV often experience difficulty in maintaining balance in their personal and professional lives. The use of mantram therapy in patients with HIV at the Veterans Affairs Hospital has shown to be an effective approach to bring focus back to their lives, to improve their quality of life, and have positive effect on immunological responses to medication. Although mantram therapy have the potential as a complementary approach of care for patients using HIV medication, the short-term and long-term cost analysis and health benefits from the these therapies are unknown. The unclear outcomes and cost have hindered the medical community from considering the use of mantram therapy in their medical practices. Therefore, this study aimed to explore assess the following components of the program: resources, activities, input, outcomes, and impact from the use of mantram therapy. We created a 'logic model' to evaluate these specific components. Our results highlighted key parameters such as institutional support, transparency of practices and outcomes, and cost-effectiveness analysis are critical in the implementation and sustainability of these mantram therapy program. The logic model constructed in our study is generalizable to other meditation therapy that could benefit in assessing the potential benefits and cost of implementation. Our findings will help health care manager, providers, and patient advocacy groups to consider the use of mantram therapy as a cost-effective and complementary approach to HIV care. Our models and conclusion will offered guidelines and possible resources to support these effort in using mantram therapy in medical care in general.