TITLE:
Clinician Utilization of Best Practices for HIV Care and Status Disclosure: A Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Victor N. Ede, Elleen Yancey, Harold Stringer, Robina Josiah Willock, Gregory Strayhorn
KEYWORDS:
HIV/AIDS Care, Status Disclosure, Best Practice, Clinician, Sexual and Needle-Sharing Partners
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.4 No.8,
August
19,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Determining the baseline utilization of best
practices among clinicians, with regard to HIV care and disclosure of status to
at-risk partners, is critical to addressing HIV prevention issues and disease
transmission. In this study, we examined clinicians' utilization of best
practices for HIV/AIDS care and the disclosure of HIV status to sexual and
needle-sharing partners (HSSNSP). We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 100
clinicians to assess knowledge, attitude, and behavior towards best practices
for HIV care and disclosure of HSSNSP. Multiple logistic regression analysis
was used to determine factors associated with the utilization of clinical best
practices for HIV care and disclosure of HSSNSP. Forty eight percent of the
participants revealed poor behaviors. Fifty six percent showed less positive
attitudes towards clinical best practices for HIV care and disclosure of
status. Less than half (32%) of the participants had earned at least 1 HIV/AIDS
CME credit in the past two years. Our study showed strong associations between
the utilization of best practices for HIV care and the disclosure of status,
and clinician attitudes and knowledge levels. Further research that aims to
improve knowledge and attitudes on clinical best practices for providing
HIV/AIDS care and the disclosure of status is needed. This improvement may lead
to increase in the utilization of best practices for HIV care and disclosure of
status, and contribute to decreases in disease transmission rates.