271072 Dentists' self-perceived role in offering HIV rapid testing: Results from a nationally representative survey

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Harold A. Pollack, PhD , School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Margaret R. Pereyra, DrPH , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Stephen Abel, DDS, MSD , Office of Extramural and Public Health Programs, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Richard Singer, DMD, MS , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miami, FL
Barbara Greenberg, PhD , Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey, New Jersey, NY
Shari Messinger, PhD , Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Lisa Metsch, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Identification of undiagnosed persons with HIV infection is a public health challenge. 2006 CDC guidelines recommend widespread screening in many health care settings. Prior research highlights dental care settings as promising venues for HIV screening.

A nationally representative survey of general dentists was performed to examine barriers and facilitators to offering oral HIV rapid testing at chair-side (n=1802, 70% response rate). Forty-six percent of dentists agreed that the dentist's role as a health care professional should include offering HIV rapid testing. Dentists' belief that offering such tests is consistent with their professional role was examined with multivariable logistic regression.

Controlling for age, gender, and race/ethnicity, dentists' belief that their professional role should include HIV rapid testing was positively associated with: "my colleagues' perception of me as a health care provider would improve" (AOR=3.9 for each unit increase in 4-point agreement scale; CI: 3.2, 4.7), familiarity with CDC guidelines for HIV screening (AOR=1.7; CI: 1.2, 2.3), the importance of annual HIV testing all persons at high risk (AOR=1.7 for each unit increase in 4-point agreement scale; CI: 1.4, 2.2), and a positive self-assessment clinical knowledge of HIV (AOR=1.2 for each unit increase in the rating scale; CI: 1.1, 1.4). Additionally, Blacks, compared to Whites (AOR=2.3, CI: 1.4, 4.0) and older dentists (AOR=1.02 for each additional year; CI: 1.006, 1.028) were more likely to agree that testing should be part of the dentist's role.

This study supports the dentist as full health care partner in the early detection of HIV infection.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
-Describe the perceived dentists' role as a health care provider -Identify the dental care setting as venue for early detection of HIV infection

Keywords: Oral Health, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Harold Pollack is an Associate Professor at the School of Social Service Administration, and faculty chair of the Center for Health Administration Studies. He has published widely at the interface between poverty policy and public health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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