A prospective evaluation of the feasibility and utility of additional tools to obtain information from recently diagnosed HIV infected patients. Swiss medical weekly : official journal of the Swiss Society of Infectious Diseases, the Swiss Society of Internal Medicine, the Swiss Society of Pneumology [Swiss Med Wkly] Journal article | | Title | A prospective evaluation of the feasibility and utility of additional tools to obtain information from recently diagnosed HIV infected patients. | | Author(s) | Daneel S, Schüpbach J, Gebhardt M, Werner M, Staub R, Vernazza P | | Institution | Cantonal Hospital, St. Gallen, Switzerland. Synove.Daneel@kssg.ch. | | Source | Swiss Med Wkly 2008 Aug 9; 138(31-32):453-8. | | Abstract | QUESTION UNDER STUDY: Can additional information be obtained from recently HIV diagnosed individuals?
METHODS: A 1-year prospective Swiss study, including all newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients. Information on circumstances of HIV infection was collected through physician- and patient questionnaires and patient interviews. Information on timing of infection was linked with an HIV-antibody avidity assay.
RESULTS: Of 710 newly HIV diagnosed patients, 543 (76%) physician questionnaires (PhyQ) and 145 (20%) patient questionnaires (PaQ) were returned. PhyQ required fewer reminders (57% vs 28% spontaneous return). Patients whose doctors had returned the PhyQ were comparable to total population group. In contrast, a strong bias towards well educated recently infected Swiss men having sex with men (MSM) was seen in patients returning PaQ or agreeing to an interview. 83% of patients claimed that they knew the infection source and 85% infection place. Unprotected sexual contact was the most frequently cited infection source (92%; n = 404). Men mainly claimed occasional (43%) and women steady (61%) partners as the most likely source of HIVinfection. Serum for timing of infection was available in 98% of patients. Recent infections (RI) were highest in MSM (51%) and intravenous drug users (IDU, 54%). Compared to women, heterosexual men were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with a RI.
CONCLUSION: Relevant additional information on circumstances of HIV infection in newly diagnosed patients can easily be collected from treating physicians. Collecting information from patients is not a feasible option, with the exception of qualitative interviews in a selected group of patients. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 18690558 |
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