Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112208

K.A. Koester, Andre Maiorana, MPH, Karen Vernon, and Stephen Morin, PhD. Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery #600, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415 597-9390, kkoester@psg.ucsf.edu

Issues: Primary prevention for people living with HIV has emerged as a recent priority in HIV prevention research. Linking clinical care and prevention is a logical step to reach those already diagnosed with HIV, however integrating HIV prevention into a clinic encounter remains a challenge. Our qualitative evaluation examined the processes by which 9 clinics, funded under HRSA's Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) HIV Prevention with HIV Positives in Clinical Settings Initiative, sought to address the unique issues associated with the integration of HIV prevention and care in order to implement provider-based interventions. Description: We conducted 38 interviews with medical providers charged to implement interventions and program administrators. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded by a team of analysts to identify converging and diverging themes. Lessons Learned: Integration of HIV prevention counseling into a clinical visit is possible assuming several key components are in place. These “active ingredients” include: strong leadership within the clinic, excellent and relevant provider training, and a willingness or motivation on the part of providers to integrate prevention and care. Recommendations: Clinics must acknowledge provider concerns, beliefs and existing practices regarding the integration of HIV primary prevention and care. Clinic administrators can potentially offset concerns by presenting compelling evidence-based data to stress the importance of conducting prevention in the context of a clinic visit and provide adequate training that meets the expectations and objectives the clinic is trying to achieve.

Learning Objectives: