Healthcare providers fail to expand human immunodeficiency virus testing

Background: In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new and revised recommendations for routine Human Immunodefienciency Virus (HIV) testing that suggest healthcare providers perform routine HIV testing on all patients ages 13-64. Despite these recommendations, primary care providers have failed to expand testing practices. The purpose of this study was to examine HIV testing practices of advanced practice nurses and identify factors that may prevent or facilitate routine HIV testing.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was employed with a convenience sample certified nurse practitioners who are members of the Illinois Society of Advanced Practice Nurses. The survey was posted online and participants were sent electronic mail, requesting participation in the study.

Results: Of participants, 50% were not familiar with the CDC's new recommendations. Patient risk status, hospital/clinic standard of care policies, lack of patient acceptance, and inadequate reimbursement were the most common factors that hinder routine HIV testing. On the other hand, easy access to a resource list of HIV specialist and hotlines, continuing HIV education, HIV counseling training, reducing time needed for pretest counseling, reducing time involved in obtaining consent, having a staff member conduct HIV counseling and obtain consent, and making HIV testing the standard of care for hospitals/clinics were facilitators identified a potentially helpful.

Conclusion: Understanding the factors that prevent or facilitate routine HIV testing will aid in the development of future interventional strategies to expand testing practices per the CDC recommendations.