Encounters with the Israeli Health Service: impressions from a support group for people with HIV

The article which follows documents one of the first short-term support groups for HIV-infected people (PWH) in Israel. The group enabled its members to cope in a positive way with issues of life and death and with the daily hardships that accompany their condition, and became an essential supporting factor in their lives. Four main areas of difficulty emerged in the group pertaining to PWH encounters with the health service, of which all may have detrimental effects on compliance with treatment: (a) sensitivity to the patient; (b) ensuring the patient's privacy; (c) consistency in procedures and in providing information; (d) communication between doctor and patient. The importance of recognizing these difficulties and the need for improvement are underscored.