The July 16, 2026 PLOS One study used the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) with 22 stakeholders (12 providers, 10 people living with HIV) in Tbilisi to prioritize an HIV disclosure decision aid for adaptation in Georgia; providers favored a digital READY option while people living with HIV prioritized a session-based Family disclosure decision aid, with the joint consensus favoring the PLWH choice. Read the original study at PLOS One article. Below we translate the study into a reproducible, AI-enabled qualitative workflow to speed adaptation, maintain rigor, and produce stakeholder-ready outputs.
Key Takeaways
The Georgia NGT study (July 16, 2026) revealed a clear tension between provider priorities for scalable digital tools and people living with HIV (PLWH) priorities for trust and session-based peer support, and a joint consensus selected the PLWH-preferred Family disclosure decision aid for adaptation.
- Study sample and date: July 16, 2026 publication, n=22 participants (12 HIV care providers; 10 PLWH).
- Format preferences: providers prioritized READY (digital); PLWH prioritized a Family disclosure decision aid (session-based).
- Consensus rule: a 40-minute joint session weighted PLWH perspectives and selected the Family disclosure DA for adaptation.
- Top adaptation priorities: peer educators, legal-rights content, treatment adherence guidance, flexible session timing, and disclosure guidance across social and healthcare settings.
Fast take: what the study found
The study found a tension between provider and PLWH priorities, with providers leaning to scalability and digital formats while PLWH emphasized trust, confidentiality, and peer support, and the joint consensus prioritized the PLWH-preferred Family disclosure decision aid for adaptation.
- Study published: July 16, 2026; sample: n=22 (12 HIV care providers; 10 PLWH).
- Provider top pick: READY (digital).
- PLWH top pick: Family disclosure DA (individual session-based).
- Adaptation priorities: peer educators, legal rights, treatment adherence, flexible session timing, guidance for disclosure across social and healthcare settings.
Findings snapshot (key numbers & dates)
| Item | Value | Source / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Publication date | July 16, 2026 | PLOS One article |
| Participants | n=22 (12 providers; 10 PLWH) | Recruitment Feb 9–Mar 3, 2026; sessions in Tbilisi |
| Formats compared | Session-based / Paper-based / Digital | Nine candidate interventions grouped into three formats |
| Consensus selection | Family disclosure DA (PLWH preference) | Joint session prioritized PLWH perspective |
| Local adaptation asks | Peer delivery, legal content, flexible timing | Priority adaptation elements listed by participants |
What happened: qualitative analysis of HIV disclosure via NGT
The study ran two single-plenary NGT sessions, one with providers and one with people living with HIV, followed by a 40-minute joint session to reconcile differences.
Method in plain terms: researchers prepared one-page summaries for nine candidate decision aids (session, paper, digital), used silent idea generation, round-robin sharing, group discussion, and independent ranking where each participant had three points to allocate.
- Data collected: de-identified flip-chart notes and ranking scores; field notes rather than verbatim transcripts were used.
- Analysis: aggregated ranking scores plus descriptive content analysis of notes, without formal coding due to concise notes.
- Decision rule: the joint consensus deliberately prioritized PLWH preferences as primary end users.
So what for qualitative researchers and UX teams
For qualitative researchers
NGT provides a rapid, transparent way to prioritize options when choices are constrained, such as formats or interventions.
The study shows that field notes limit depth, so replicating teams should plan follow-up interviews or richer transcripts where nuance matters.
Use clear scoring rules (the study’s 3-point allocation is simple and reproducible) and capture verbatim quotes when possible to support thematic synthesis.
For UX / product teams
User preferences can conflict with operational priorities, with PLWH favoring individualized trust and providers favoring scalability.
Design hybrid pathways that start with individual sessions and offer optional digital modules for follow-up to reconcile these preferences.
Map adaptation asks (peer educators, legal content, confidentiality workflows) to product requirements up front to avoid later redesign.
For implementers and program leads
Implementation should prioritize end-user voice when adapting behavioral tools, reflecting the study’s joint consensus approach that weighted PLWH perspectives.
Track implementation constraints such as staff time and facilitator training in parallel to adaptation to avoid rollout bottlenecks.
Do more, faster with Evidano
Ingest NGT notes and produce themes in minutes
Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that ingests NGT notes and produces themes in minutes.
Upload session flip-chart summaries, de-identified notes, and ranking sheets to Evidano to auto-generate thematic and frequency analyses, extract top adaptation priorities (peer role, legal content, session timing), and sample quotations for reports.
Compare stakeholder segments reliably
Evidano compares stakeholder segments to surface reliable differences between providers and PLWH preferences.
Use Evidano cross-segment analysis to compare providers versus PLWH preferences (for example, digital versus session points), visualize differences, and export tables for funder or IRB-ready materials.
Support multilingual adaptation & materials
Evidano supports transcription and translation with custom dictionaries while preserving participant confidentiality.
Use Evidano transcription and translation with custom dictionaries when adapting content for Georgian language and legal terminology.
Prototype and test mixed-format interventions
Evidano supports prototyping phased pathways that combine individual-session templates and linked digital modules.
Build a phased pathway and use Evidano to host content summaries, co-occurrence maps, and hierarchical code trees to inform scripts and worksheet design.
Security & ethics
Evidano uses data encryption and guarantees that your data are never used to train third-party models to reduce risk when handling sensitive health discussions.
Learn more or start a pilot at Evidano.
Checklist: 8-step AI-enabled workflow to adapt a DA from NGT results
Follow this checklist to go from NGT notes to a pilot-ready adapted decision aid.
- 1) Gather materials: one-page DA summaries, flip-chart notes, ranking forms, consent documentation (de-identified).
- 2) Ingest documents into Evidano (transcribe any audio; apply custom dictionary for legal/medical terms).
- 3) Auto-run thematic and frequency analysis to surface top adaptation themes and segment differences.
- 4) Extract representative quotations and map them to adaptation priorities (peer delivery, confidentiality, legal information).
- 5) Prototype: draft an individual-session script plus modular digital follow-ups; use Evidano co-occurrence and hierarchies to structure content.
- 6) Translate and adapt language and legal references with Evidano; validate with local peer reviewers.
- 7) Pilot a small cohort and collect structured feedback (surveys and follow-up transcripts); re-run Evidano cross-segment analysis.
- 8) Produce a stakeholder-ready report (tables, word clouds, networks) and prepare an implementation memo for funders or IRB.
Ethics & research safeguards
The study used de-identified notes and stored consent forms separately, and replicating teams should follow local IRB guidance before using AI tools.
Replicating teams should document consent processes and remove indirect identifiers before uploading materials to any AI-enabled platform.
FAQ: Qualitative analysis of HIV disclosure
What did the Georgia NGT study find?
The study found a clear tension between provider priorities for scalable digital tools and PLWH priorities for trust and session-based peer support, with the joint consensus favoring the PLWH-preferred Family disclosure decision aid.
The joint session applied a decision rule that prioritized PLWH perspectives and selected the Family disclosure DA for local adaptation.
Who participated in the study and when were they recruited?
Twenty-two stakeholders participated: 12 HIV care providers and 10 people living with HIV, recruited Feb 9–Mar 3, 2026, with sessions held in Tbilisi.
The study’s recruitment and session dates support the study’s internal timeline and the July 16, 2026 publication date.
How was the Nominal Group Technique implemented in this study?
Researchers ran two single-plenary NGT sessions (one with providers, one with PLWH) followed by a 40-minute joint session, using silent idea generation, round-robin sharing, group discussion, and independent ranking with three points per participant.
Data sources included de-identified flip-chart notes, ranking scores, and field notes rather than full verbatim transcripts.
Which decision aid was prioritized for adaptation?
Participants prioritized the PLWH-preferred Family disclosure decision aid in the joint consensus session.
The joint consensus intentionally privileged PLWH perspectives as the primary end users for adaptation decisions.
What adaptation priorities did participants list?
Participants listed peer educators, legal-rights content, treatment adherence guidance, flexible session timing, and guidance for disclosure across social and healthcare settings as top adaptation priorities.
These priorities translate into concrete product and implementation requirements such as peer-delivery workflows and legal information modules.
Wrapping up: next steps and CTA
If teams are translating NGT outputs or interview notes into an adapted decision aid, the Georgia study (July 16, 2026) shows the value of privileging end-user voice while accounting for provider constraints and practical rollout issues.
Ready to run this workflow on your NGT notes, transcripts, or survey sheets? Try Evidano for free to start a pilot and see prebuilt thematic and cross-segment analyses, or cite the original study in your adaptation plan: PLOS One article.