title: Internal medicine and emergency medicine physicians lack accurate knowledge of current CDC HIV testing recommendations and infrequently offer HIV testing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of residents and attendings in emergency medicine (EM) and internal medicine (IM) about HIV.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic anonymous 41-question survey of IM and EM physicians at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey was completed by 232 physicians (71.6%). EM residents were more likely to routinely offer HIV testing compared to IM residents (60.7% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.0009). Overall, there was no difference in offering HIV testing by sex (32% vs. 35.6%) or by residents versus attendings (33.8% vs. 33.3%). Only 70 physicians (30.9%) were aware of current CDC recommendations of HIV screening with attendings more knowledgeable than residents (41.7% vs. 26%, P = 0.017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EM and IM residents and attendings fail to offer HIV testing or assess for HIV transmission risk factors with sufficient frequency. There is also a gap in knowledge of the current CDC recommendations.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Mayar Al
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mohajer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fichtenbaum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000592:standards; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult