Patterns of referral and intervention for persons with AIDS

This study identified reasons practitioners receive occupational therapy (OT) referrals for persons with AIDS (PWAs). Frequency of OT interventions and perceived priorities of PWAs at each Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stage of the disease's progression were examined.

Surveys were sent to practitioners (N = 47) listed with AOTA having current or past work experience with PWAs. Twenty of the returned questionnaires were usable for analysis. Frequencies, ANOVAs, and weighted rank order statistics were used to bring meaning to the data.

Significantly more referrals for OT services were received for PWAs in Stages 3 and 4 of the disease than Stages 1 and 2 (F = 43.99, df = 3, p <.001). Referrals for early stages of the disease focused on role status, and play/leisure activities. In the latter stages, referrals for cognitive/perceptual skills, adaptive equipment, and caregiver training were more frequent. Frequency of interventions used by practitioners tended to mirror referral patterns, as did the perceived priorities of the PWA.

Reasons for referral and the interventions used with PWAs throughout the stages of the AIDS/HIV disease were similar to the perceived priorities of PWAs receiving services from OT practitioners, and reflected the typical symptoms experienced by PWAs at each CDC stage.