title: A model predicting dentists' willingness to treat HIV-positive patients.
abstract: Data for this study of dentists' willingness to treat HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals were derived from a survey of a probability sample of American general practitioner dentists (GPD). Data were received from 1,351 active GPD, which represented an 88% response rate. Because the outcome measure--willingness to treat HIV+ patients--is dichotomous, i.e., yes/no, logistic regression was selected as the statistical technique to be used for the creation of a predictive model. Seventeen independent variables were initially considered. The final and most parsimonious model contains six independent variables, of which perceived safety in treating HIV+ patients has the most predictive power. Fear of consequences for the practice, if HIV+ patients were seen, was also a powerful predictor, with a sense of ethical responsibility and a past history of treating HIV+ patients also being important predictive variables. Knowledge level about transmission of HIV and concern about risks associated with treating homosexuals were also significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sadowsky
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kunzel
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011336:Probability; D016079:Refusal to Treat