The public health framework of harm reduction was evaluated in one care setting to determine its potential for use in other fields of healthcare. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 clients of the HIV Alliance’s needle exchange program. Analysis of client responses revealed three themes: 1) harm reduction methods work well for the HIV Alliance’s clientele, 2) conventional methods of healthcare outside of the HIV Alliance are not as constructive as they could be, and 3) the patient-provider relationship is critical in all healthcare settings. It was determined that harm reduction methods would be suitable for healthcare settings because of its patient-centered, non-coercive approach and view of patients as capable of deciding their health-related behaviors and care.
Key words: Harm reduction, needle exchange program, healthcare, qualitative researc
