Virological suppression and co-morbidities are the main focus of consultations between HIV healthcare providers (HCPs) and their patients, according to results of a study conducted by NAM and presented to the recent 15th European AIDS Conference held in Barcelona. Almost 90% of HCPs said the main focus of appointments with patients taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) who had a detectable viral load was treatment adherence. For people taking ART who had an undetectable viral load, discussions primarily focused on co-morbidities.
The research also gathered data on patients’ experiences of interaction with HCPs. Almost half reported difficulties interacting with health professionals and over a third said they used the internet when seeking information about the management of HIV.
HIV is now a chronic, manageable infection. Poor communication between people living with HIV and healthcare professionals has been associated with sub-optimal treatment outcomes.
Investigators at NAM in collaboration with other researchers therefore designed a study to examine what European HCPs considered to be the priority subjects for consultation with the people living with HIV in their care. A parallel survey examined the opinions of patients concerning their interaction with HCPs.
The research was conducted between October 2014 and June 2015. A survey with 29 questions about communication between HCPs and patients was distributed to HCPs.
A total of 292 HCPs responded. The majority (85%) were located in western Europe, 5% were in eastern European EU countries and the remaining 10% worked in non-EU countries in eastern Europe, the Middle East or Central Asia.
Over half (55%) of respondents stated that they were physicians who specialised in the treatment of HIV; 22% were HIV nurse specialists; 7% were pharmacists and 7% GPs. Most (71%) reported that consultations with HIV-positive patients took place in hospital settings.