TRAINING MEDICAL-STUDENTS IN HIV AIDS TEST COUNSELING - RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED TRIAL/

The study assessed the effectiveness of a programme aimed at increasin g medical students' skills in counselling patients presenting for HIV testing/AIDS information. Senior medical students were randomly assign ed to receive a short course in pre- and post-test counselling, or to a control group which received the usual curriculum. The students' per formance in counselling simulated patients was videotaped at baseline and after 3 months. A subsample was also assessed at 12 months. Studen ts receiving the programme showed significantly greater improvement in pre- and post-test counselling skills over 3 months than did the cont rols. For the subsample continuing to 12 months, a significant effect over time was found; however, there was no significant difference betw een the groups. This may have been influenced by the small sample size s used for the 12-month assessment. General interactional skills impro ved for the overall sample over 3 and 12 months, but again there were no significant differences between groups. Those exposed to the progra mme did not show significantly greater changes in either knowledge or attitude scores over either time frame, compared with controls. When t aught in addition to the usual undergraduate curriculum at Newcastle U niversity, this short interactional skills course significantly enhanc ed students' ability to provide pre- or post-test counselling for HIV/ AIDS.