[HIV infection: survey among practicing physicians in Bern]

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Context:

• Growing numbers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients necessitate practitioner involvement in prevention and care.
• A survey assessed the practice, attitudes, and knowledge of 1057 practitioners in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, regarding HIV care, prevention, and treatment.
• By late 1989, over 90% of practitioners had prescribed HIV tests, though routine testing was largely rejected.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the current practices, attitudes, and knowledge of healthcare practitioners concerning HIV infection and related issues.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for effective HIV prevention and patient care among practitioners.
• To determine the need for targeted education programs to enhance practitioner performance in HIV management.

Summary:

• Practitioners demonstrated good knowledge of HIV transmission and treatment but confusion regarding vaccinations. While willing to care for HIV patients, lack of skills was a barrier.
• Prevention activities, such as sexual history-taking, were infrequent. Most practitioners supported "Stop Aids" campaign recommendations and experimental harm-reduction measures.
• A third of practitioners cared for HIV-infected individuals by late 1989, preferring independent care for asymptomatic patients but specialist support for symptomatic ones.

Impact:

• Findings suggest that enhancing medical knowledge can increase practitioner readiness to care for HIV patients.
• Improving prevention activities requires education programs designed and delivered by experienced peers.
• The study highlights the importance of continuous medical education and peer support in managing public health challenges like HIV.