title: Telling patients about the diagnosis of HIV infection.
abstract: This study used a questionnaire to examine how patients in the HIV/AIDS Clinic at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital were told of their diagnosis, by whom, and to what degree they were given emotional and educational support. Nearly 17% of patients were informed by someone not in the health professions (often military personnel), and 27% of patients were notified in a nonprivate setting. Forty-seven percent indicated they received little or no educational support at the time of diagnosis, while 39% received little or no emotional support. Educational and emotional support for patients at the time of HIV diagnosis may be lacking.
authors.affiliation: Section of General Internal Medicine, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Medical College of Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Farber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure