A national study of AIDS and residency training: experiences, concerns, and consequences

Article Abstract:

How well are medical residency training programs preparing physicians to care for the estimated 600,000 people already infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus, associated with AIDS) who are expected to need treatment by 1993? To answer this and related questions, a study of almost 2,000 senior residents in internal medicine and family medicine in 10 states was carried out. Participants completed a questionnaire that elicited information about their experiences in AIDS care, their attitudes toward these experiences, and their future plans for providing most medical care to HIV-infected patients. Most respondents said that their teaching hospital had significant numbers of inpatients with AIDS, with residents in family medicine, and those in the Midwest and South reporting the least contact with such patients. Residents in the Northeast reported the most contact. Sixty-five percent said they had had contact with an AIDS patient on an outpatient basis in the past year, and 50 percent had at least one HIV-infected clinic patient currently. Almost three quarters of the respondents planned to provide primary care in the future to AIDS patients, but 61 percent had reservations concerning their preparedness to provide care to AIDS outpatients. Family medicine residents expressed more doubt in this regard than internal medicine residents. Seventy-five percent of the respondents believed that caring for AIDS patients was an excellent educational experience; however, 23 percent said they would definitely or probably not provide care for AIDS patients, if given a choice. Their antipathy was based on dislike of the type of patients they thought were likely to have AIDS (homosexuals, drug abusers). Respondents reported an alarming number of blood-contaminated needlesticks (72 percent had experienced at least one), and nine percent had suffered a needlestick from a patient known to be HIV-positive. The results suggest that most residents have substantial contact with AIDS patients, and that certain changes in their education concerning the care of these patients could be considered. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Surveys, Training, AIDS patients, Residents (Medicine), Medical education

---

Effect of HIV antibody testing and AIDS education on communication about HIV risk and sexual behavior: a randomized, controlled trial in college students

Article Abstract:

Heterosexual university students who were tested for HIV and were educated on AIDS were more likely to talk with sexual partners about the risk for HIV. Most AIDS prevention efforts directed at heterosexuals have stressed education, but these efforts have not significantly reduced risky behavior. The greatest proportion of new HIV cases is among heterosexuals. Of 370 university students enrolled in a study of AIDS education, 144 were educated only, 136 were educated and tested for HIV and 90 in the control group received nothing. A six-month follow-up found that 56% of the students who received both education and testing discussed HIV status and risks with their partners compared with 42% of those who received education only and 41% of the control group. These findings suggest that HIV testing, which is relatively inexpensive, should be included in public health efforts to prevent the spread of AIDS.

Social aspects, Study and teaching, AIDS (Disease), HIV testing, HIV tests, Safe sex

---

Evaluating the care of general medicine inpatients: how good is implicit review?

Article Abstract:

Implicit peer review may have be an moderately effective method for evaluating the overall quality of care and preventable deaths among hospital patients in general medicine. This method may not be effective for evaluating other aspects of care. Twelve internists trained in structured implicit peer review evaluated the medical records of 675 hospital patients admitted to a general medicine ward. Assessment of overall quality of care and preventable deaths among general medicine patients were reliable for comparing different hospital wards. This type of assessment was not reliable for evaluating the treatment of single patients if they were done by one or two reviewers. Reviewers were usually unable to agree when evaluating aspects of care other than overall quality of care or preventable deaths.

Usage, Medical care, Quality management, Medical care quality, Hospital patients, Peer review

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: The epidemiology of cancer among Hispanic women: the experience in Florida. Epidemiology of cancer among Hispanic males: the experience in Florida
• Abstracts: Embryonal sarcoma of the liver in an adult treated with preoperative chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hepatic lobectomy
• Abstracts: Human chorionic gonadotropin and relaxin concentrations in early ectopic and normal pregnancies. Multifetal pregnancy in a gonadal dysgenesis mosaic
• Abstracts: Sensitivity and specificity of screening for Down syndrome with alpha-fetoprotein, hCG, unconjugated estriol, and maternal age
• Abstracts: A study of epileptic psychosis using magnetic resonance imaging. The motor disorders of mental handicap: an overlap with the motor disorders of severe psychiatric illness

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.