RURAL PHYSICIANS - A SURVEY ANALYSIS OF HIV AIDS PATIENT-MANAGEMENT/

Primary care physicians in South Carolina were asked about their knowl edge, attitudes, beliefs, and services provided to HIV/AIDS patients. The study focused on conditions under which physicians would provide a dditional services in an effort to develop more effective state polici es regarding HIV/AIDS. There was a 66 percent (597/900) response rate. This analysis focuses on a group of 338 physicians that identified th emselves as rural (nonurban) physicians. Of the rural physicians respo nding, 42 percent had not treated a case of HIV/AIDS during the last y ear and 52 percent had seen only 1 to 9 patients. They identified lack of specialty back-up support, likelihood of losing patients, legal an d ethical issues, and lack of community services as the primary barrie rs to service. Gaps in rural physician knowledge included when to refe r HIV/AIDS cases to specialists and information on legal and ethical i ssues. They, like their urban colleagues, would provide additional ser vices to HIV/AIDS patients with specialty back-up (57 percent), better community and social services support (54 percent), additional traini ng (48 percent), and limited liability (47 percent). The authors concl ude that policy changes addressing these areas in the broader contexts of rural health issues would expand access to care for persons with H IV infection in rural states.