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Niforatos JD, Nowacki AS, Avery A, Gripshover BM, Yax JA. Clinical knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections among emergency medicine providers. Int J STD AIDS 2019; 30:1290-1297. [PMID: 31718468 DOI: 10.1177/0956462419866052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction This study examines the association of the domains of knowledge for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among emergency medicine providers (EP). Methods From February 2018 to March 2018, 75 EP (physicians, residents, and advanced practice providers) completed an anonymous, self-administered survey. The primary outcome of strength of correlation between HIV and STI sections of the survey was analyzed using Spearman’s rank-order coefficient. Results Respondents were physicians (54.6%), male (56%), Caucasian (83.7%), with eight years in practice (IQR: 2,16). Spearman’s correlation of HIV and STIs showed a weak positive correlation ( r = 0.35, p = 0.002). There was no association between HIV scores and provider type ( p = 0.67) or provider gender ( p = 0.89) as well as no association between STI scores and provider type ( p = 0.10) or provider gender ( p = 0.79). Conclusion The results of our study reveal that when presented with a patient at high risk for undiagnosed HIV or with undiagnosed symptomatic HIV infection, most providers either do not test or do not have HIV in the differential diagnosis. Similarly, knowledge of STIs is only weakly correlated with knowledge of HIV risk factors and symptomatic HIV infection. Further research and screening efforts may benefit by focusing on HIV education among emergency medicine providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Niforatos
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital/The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amy S Nowacki
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ann Avery
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Infectious Diseases, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Barbara M Gripshover
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,John T. Carey Special Immunology Unit, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Justin A Yax
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
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