Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Physicians Lack Accurate Knowledge of Current CDC HIV Testing Recommendations and Infrequently Offer HIV Testing

Abstract

To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of residents and attendings in emergency medicine (EM) and internal medicine (IM) about HIV. An electronic anonymous 41-question survey of IM and EM physicians at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center. The survey was completed by 232 physicians (71.6%). EM residents were more likely to routinely offer HIV testing compared to IM residents (60.7% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.0009). Overall, there was no difference in offering HIV testing by sex (32% vs. 35.6%) or by residents versus attendings (33.8% vs. 33.3%). Only 70 physicians (30.9%) were aware of current CDC recommendations of HIV screening with attendings more knowledgeable than residents (41.7% vs. 26%, P = 0.017). EM and IM residents and attendings fail to offer HIV testing or assess for HIV transmission risk factors with sufficient frequency. There is also a gap in knowledge of the current CDC recommendations.