Assessment of emergency department health care professionals' behaviors regarding HIV testing and referral for patients with STDs. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2002 Nov;16(11):549-53
Date
01/07/2003Pubmed ID
12513903DOI
10.1089/108729102761041100Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0036851791 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 43 CitationsAbstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling, testing, and referral practices of emergency department health care professionals (i.e., medical doctors [MD], physician assistants [PA], nurse practitioners [NP], and registered nurses [RN]) for patients presenting with other sexually transmitted diseases (STD). All health care professionals from 10 emergency departments in a northeastern county were asked to complete an anonymous survey. The surveys were returned by 154 (41%) health care professionals (RN = 99, NP = 5, PA = 7, MD = 39, other = 4). The average years in practice were 11. Only 7% of respondents were certified to provide state mandated HIV pretest counseling (certification not required for MD). Respondents reported caring for an average of 13 patients per week with suspected STD. Fifty-five percent of respondents reported that they always or usually warn STD patients of their HIV risk, yet only 10% always or usually encouraged these patients to consent to HIV testing in their emergency department (RN = 7%, NP = 25%, PA = 0%, MD = 16%). Reasons for not offering HIV testing in their emergency department were follow-up concerns (51%), not certified to provide pretest/posttest counseling (45%), and too time consuming (19%). Twenty-seven percent of respondents indicated HIV testing was not available in their emergency department despite all hospital laboratories reporting HIV testing capability. Ninety-three percent of respondents were aware that confidential testing sites were available, but only 35% always or usually referred patients not tested in the emergency department elsewhere for testing. Emergency department health care professionals frequently fail to provide HIV counseling, testing, and/or referral for patients with suspected STD.
Author List
Fincher-Mergi M, Cartone KJ, Mischler J, Pasieka P, Lerner EB, Billittier AJ 4thMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
CounselingHIV Infections
Health Personnel
Humans
Professional Practice
Referral and Consultation
Risk Assessment
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Statistics, Nonparametric
Surveys and Questionnaires
