In the routine HIV testing era, primary care physicians in community health centers remain unaware of HIV testing recommendations

Monisha Arya, Micha Yin Zheng*, Amber Bush Amspoker, Michael Anthony Kallen, Richard Lewis Street, Kasisomayajula Viswanath, Thomas Peter Giordano

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Despite the 2006 US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for routine HIV testing in health care settings, many persons remain untested. Purpose: To determine physician barriers to HIV testing, we surveyed primary care physicians in community health centers in a high HIV prevalence city. Methods: Primary care physicians were invited via e-mail to participate in a Web-based survey. One hundred and thirty-seven physicians participated (response rate: 43.9%). Results: Fifty-five physicians (41.0%) were unaware of updated CDC HIV testing recommendations. Physicians were unaware that testing should be routinely offered in primary care settings caring for adolescents (62 physicians, 45.6%) and primary care settings caring for adults (33, 24.3%). Physicians were also unaware that teenage years patients aged 13 to 17 years (68, 49.6%) and adult patients aged 18 to 64 years (40, 29.2%) should be routinely HIV tested. Conclusion: With the new 2013 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations to support routine HIV testing, it is critical to address ongoing physician HIV testing barriers to mitigate the HIV epidemic.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)296-299
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
Volume13
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Baylor-UT Houston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), an NIH-funded program (AI036211; PI: Arya), and an NIH/NIMH K23 Award (MH094235-01A1; PI: Arya). This work was supported in part by the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX (#CIN 13-413). The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Keywords

  • Community health centers
  • Guidelines
  • HIV testing
  • Primary care physicians

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Dermatology
  • Immunology

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