AEGiS-14IAC: Breaking the silence: an HIV-related educational intervention for final year medical students.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Breaking the silence: an HIV-related educational intervention for final year medical students.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. ThOrF1410)

Houston S, Mielke J, Chitsike I, Gangaidzo I, Mutetwa S, Chingono A, Ray S
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

BACKGROUND: Lack of open discussion at political, community and personal levels is a major obstacle to an effective community response to HIV. Non-disclosure/discussion of HIV, even when clinically apparent, is common in practice, reinforcing the "conspiracy of silence". Doctors have not been well prepared to address HIV with patients.

METHODS: Consultation with university and community doctors, a community HIV organization and medical students confirmed the scope of the problem and suggested the content of the training. Audience: final year medical students. Format: 3 X weekly half day sessions. Topics: Individual medical benefits of informing the patient of his/her HIV status and discussing testing. Public health (transmission reduction) benefits of informing patients with suspected HIV. Ethical obligations of doctor to patient, to share important information, including suspicion/diagnosis of HIV. Practical tools and strategies for raising the issue of HIV at the bedside. Coping with our own psychological response to large numbers of HIV patients. Patients' expectations and wishes. Community resources to support patients with HIV. Role play (local professional theatre group)-portrayed some of the above issues.

RESULTS: Active participation by students in all 3 sessions. Evaluation form completed by students: -Unanimous support of need for such a course. -Strong positive evaluation of all elements, (mean score out of 5: 3.6 for "public health benefits" to 4.6 for the role play session).

CONCLUSION: There is a critical need to provide medical students with the knowledge, ethical basis, skills and resources, to address HIV with patients. This "mini-course" appeared to be a useful supplement to this end. Future efforts should concentrate on integrating these lessons into the curriculum (now being initiated at the University of Zimbabwe) and providing similar training/support to doctors already in practice.

Keywords: AEGIS, Students, Medical, HIV Infections, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, Teaching, HIV Seropositivity, Curriculum, Clinical Clerkship, Attitude, Time, Education, Medical, Educational Measurement, Preceptorship, Zimbabwe, Human, Education

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ThOrF1410