Are dentists the key to increasing uptake of oral rapid HIV testing in Asia/Pacific?

A.J Santella,P Nghaite,L Wang,T Nguyen,M Schifter,R.J Hillman

doi:10.1016/j.aogh.2016.04.495

Abstract

Are dentists the key to increasing uptake of oral rapid HIV testing in Asia/Pacific?

Highlights

Recent evidence suggests there is a role for the dental team, dentists in offering chairside HIV screening to patients during the dental appointment
Program/Project Purpose: At a March 2015 working meeting held in conjunction with the 2015 CUGH conference, faculty from the University of Maryland Baltimore Center for Global Education Initiatives organized a meeting during which 120 global health faculty and administrators discussed the increasing number of “global/local” initiatives in global health programs across the country
Cross-sectional surveys of practicing dentists were conducted in Australia (n1⁄4532), China (n1⁄4477), and India (n1⁄4503), in addition to a mixed methods survey and focus groups (FG) in Vietnam (n1⁄442), were conducted to assess their willingness to conduct rapid HIV testing (RHT)

Summary

Introduction

Recent evidence suggests there is a role for the dental team, dentists in offering chairside HIV screening to patients during the dental appointment. HIV is no longer a death sentence with early diagnosis and effective treatment contributing a good prognosis. This abstract highlights the international evidence that supports dentists’ willingness to conduct HIV screening. Diabetes is emerging as a global health problem in China. Management of diabetes extends beyond the individual. This project reveals the narratives of how one person’s disease inevitably affects caretakers and family members of the patient. The aim of the project was to address the following: how do patients take charge of their health and inform their families of their conditions? How do family members in turn interpret and use this knowledge to support the patient?

Objectives

Methods

Results