Given an appropriate conceptual model, such as the Wilson and Cleary model for linking clinical variables with health-related quality of life, ambulatory care information systems have the potential to facilitate holistic care for persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Four examples of the manner in which ambulatory care system can support the provision of holistic care are the contextualization of care through inclusion of the patient's voice, improved coordination of care and knowledge-harvesting through systems integration, timely application of agency-specific information and domain information and knowledge to individual patient, and blurring of the boundaries of ambulatory care.