title: Deficits in AIDS/HIV knowledge among physicians and nurses at a Minnesota public teaching hospital.
abstract: We administered a questionnaire pertaining to recent gains in knowledge about HIV/AIDS treatment and natural history in mid-1990 to all physicians and nurses at a 455-bed public teaching hospital. Surveys were returned by 127 physicians (46%) and 541 nurses (77%). Responses indicated that only 37% of physicians and 18% of nurses knew that the risk for an AIDS-related opportunistic infection becomes significant when the T-helper cell count falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter. One-fourth of physicians (23%) and more than one-half of nurses (55%) were not aware that the HIV enzyme immunoassay test alone is insufficient to properly determine a patient's HIV serostatus. The survey results revealed a broad deficit in knowledge about the natural history and treatment of HIV infection and demonstrated the need for a clinically relevant core HIV/AIDS knowledge curriculum and for strategies to better educate health care providers to improve care given to HIV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D008910:Minnesota; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*