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Healthcare resources limited for new HIV patients

Category: HIV

A greater number of people are seeking HIV testing than ever before, but this is leading an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with the disease and the healthcare system may be ill-prepared to care for all these individuals, according to a new report from researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.

The team analyzed resources available to newly diagnosed HIV patients across the country, taking into consideration increasing rates of diagnosis. They found that many factors are making it more difficult for these individuals to find proper care.

The overall shortage of primary care physicians, which is crippling healthcare provision in many other areas, is resulting in fewer doctors who are qualified to care for HIV patients, the report said. Additionally, fewer healthcare providers are receiving adequate training on the needs of individuals with HIV.

"With each additional HIV infection detected, the care system inherits a responsibility to counsel, refer, treat and monitor an additional patient," the report states.

Its authors said that more must be done to train healthcare providers and create new systems to deliver care of HIV-infected patients.