SOMATIC CARE WANTED BY HIV-INFECTED INTRAVENOUS DRUG-ABUSERS - THE PATIENTS OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES

The somatic care of HIV-infected intravenous drug abusers (IVDUs) is o ften combined with many problems. The addict is often an unpopular pat ient, but society must assume responsibility for him or her and it is important to solve care problems in an appropriate way. This study was undertaken in order to investigate what kind of care addicts want whe n they become somatically ill. A questionnaire was given to patients w ho acquired HIV infection due to intravenous drug abuse, who visited a n outpatient clinic for HIV-infected patients at the Department of Inf ectious Disease, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. A total of 72 o f the original 78 questionnaires could be evaluated Thirty respondents took part in the Stockholm Methadone Programme. The patients were ask ed to rank the importance of professional competence among the staff. The patients ranked competence in pain treatment highest followed by c ompetence in somatic medical care. Lower ranked, but still perceived a s important, was competence in psychiatric medical care and social wel fare work. Experience in treatment of addiction was ranked as less imp ortant. It can be concluded that it is fruitful to ask IVDUs about the ir preferences concerning care.