Physicians and AIDS care: does knowledge influence their attitude and comfort in rendering care?

Abstract

SUMMARYAdequate knowledge, positive attitude, and feeling of comfort are important factors in providing compassionate care to patients. The purpose of this study was to assess physicians' knowledge, attitude and global comfort in caring for patients with AIDS (PWA), to determine the sociodemographic variables that could influence physicians' attitude and global comfort, and to identify any relationship between their knowledge, attitude and comfort. Consultants and residents (N=211) in two Nigerian teaching hospitals were surveyed using a two-part questionnaire. Part I elicited sociodemographic and previous AIDS encounter information, and Part II assessed knowledge, attitude and global comfort with AIDS patients care. Nigerian physicians showed satisfactory knowledge, but they harbored negative attitude and low level of comfort in caring for PWA. Previous AIDS care experience, age and being a consultant or a senior resident influenced attitude, while male gender and knowing someone with AIDS influenced global comfort. Knowledge is weakly but positively associated with attitude, while attitude is modestly associated with comfort. The study reinforced the need for an ongoing education focused on experiential learning, and professional socialization in order to influence physicians' attitude and enhance their feeling of comfort when caring for PWA.

Stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS by healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a cross-sectional descriptive study

“…On the question, 'if mosquitoes can transmit HIV', 91.6% (306) of our participants answered correctly that mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV which is in agreement with similar reports of 94% from Nigeria [24]. In this KEH study there was a weak correlation between knowledge and comfort levels.…”

“…However, the mean attitude score amongst this cohort was 110.6, interpreted as an indication that this cohort of physicians harboured some negative attitude towards patients with HIV/AIDS. This finding of a negative attitude towards PWLHA was confirmed by the fact that 95.3% of the participants had also previously refused to provide care for HIV positive patients [24]. By contrast, a Chinese study reported that HCWs in China who had more HIV related training tend to show significantly lower prejudicial attitudes towards PLWHA [25].…”

Stigmatization of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

“…This is reflected in the fact that HCW's who have higher levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and its transmission scored higher in questions about comfort levels in rendering care to PLWHA. Our results differ somewhat from the Nigerian study where HCW discomfort with taking care of PWLHA was attributed to the pervasive fear of HIV/AIDS in the community where HCWs live [25]. By contrast, a Chinese study did not show any correlation between knowledge of HIV/AIDs and comfort levels.…”

“…The knowledge of stigmatization as it relates to HIV/AIDS sufferers was moderately adequate in this study which is similar to another South African study, and a Nigerian study which also reported satisfactory knowledge of HIV/AIDS amongst the participating HCWs in SSA [25]. On the question, 'if mosquitoes can transmit HIV', 91.6% (306) of our participants answered correctly that mosquitoes cannot transmit HIV which is in agreement with similar reports of 94% from Nigeria.…”

More Hands in Complex ART Delivery? Experiences from the Expert Clients Initiative in Rural Uganda

“…The problem of human resource is multi-faceted -it includes supply, migration, distribution, skills mix, renumeration and productivity dimensions (Chen et al 2005, Adetoyeje. 2007, WHO 2008.…”