Evaluation of aids education and training center clinical training

Abstract

Health professionals need accurate basic information about HIV disease as well as clinical research updates; earlier research suggests that information alone seldom changes practice behavior. This paper explores the consequences of a comprehensive clinical training package offered by an AIDS Education and Training Center, including an exploration of provider behavior change as a result of training. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with 66 program participants an average of 9 months after training. Respondents reported opinions about the educational program, how practice patterns had changed, and whether they have trained others following their participation. Participants reported high satisfaction with training and indicated that they had increased the number of HIV-positive patients in their practices. Training activities valued most highly included clinical emphasis and patient simulation. Respondents also reported doing considerable training of other providers after their training. The study findings suggest that HIV educational programs targeted to health providers should combine specific clinical information with skill development opportunities that emphasize patient contact. This combination training approach is especially important as new and complex drug therapies emerge that require joint decision making between persons living with HIV and health service providers.