Collaborative HIV care in primary health care: nurses' views

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nursing
• Health Policy

Background:

• Collaborative HIV care between nurses and traditional health practitioners is crucial for improving health outcomes in people living with HIV.
• Primary healthcare services are key settings for implementing collaborative HIV care strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe nurses' views on collaborative HIV care within primary healthcare services.
• To identify challenges and opportunities for enhancing collaborative HIV care in South Africa.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative, descriptive research design was employed.
• Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with purposively selected nurses.
• Content analysis was used to analyze the collected data.

Main Results:

• Nurses' views highlighted significant health system challenges impacting collaborative HIV care.
• Inadequate collaborative HIV care was identified between nurses and traditional health practitioners.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for improved policy implementation, monitoring, and evaluation for collaborative HIV care.
• Strengthening referral systems and follow-up are essential for improving care quality and health outcomes.
• Involving and training traditional health practitioners in health policy can foster better working relationships with nurses.