A Survey of Health Service Utilisation and Health Needs of a Population of Patient with HIV/ AIDS

This study described the demographic and medical characteristics of a population of patients with HIV/AIDS attending the department of Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) at a major Dublin hospital. The study population's utilisation of statutory and voluntary medical and social services at primary care level, satisfaction with services received and perceived need for services examined. The information obtained was used to make recommendations concerning the provision of care to patients with HIV/AIDS. The study was carried out between February and November 1994. Data was collected from a consecutive sample of eighty inpatients using n interviewer-administered questionnaire which contained both closed and open questions. The first forty patients interviewed were reviewed six months following the initial interview to document changes in physical condition and uptake of medical services over that time period. Data for the second part of the study was obtained by review of the patients' medical case notes and interview with the individual hospital medical social worker assigned to each patient. Over ninety percent of respondents were from the Greater Dublin Area. Almost three quarters were intravenous drug users (IVDUs), and the majority of these patients came from south inner city Dublin. The methodology was biased towards sampling patients with advanced disease and 73% had CDC Stage 4 disease. Twenty percent required some assistance with the activities of daily living when first interviewed. Most were reliant on informal carers. Social and physical dependency increased substantially over the six month period of the follow-up study of forty patients. Financial difficulties were identified as a particular area of need. Only ten percent of those interviewed were in current employment and over 80% were dependent on statutory payments. There is a need for greater co-ordination between the providers of services to patients HIV/AIDS and an improved system of data collection regarding patients' uptake of services and unmet needs is required to assist in future service planning.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

HIV & AIDS education and prevention plan 2008-2012. Mid-term review.

In 2008 a 4-year plan for HIV and AIDS Education and Prevention in Ireland was published. The plan aimed to contribute to a reduction in new infections of HIV and AIDS through education and prevention measures. It also aimed to guide and inform the development of policy and services in the statutory and non-statutory sectors with responsibility in this regard. This report is produced as a response to a letter from the Secretariat of the National AIDS Strategy Committee (NASC). The letter requested “feedback from the Education and Prevention Sub-Committee on prevention activities currently in place and on progress to date on the Education and Prevention Action Plan (2008-2012).” In addition, action 2 under Action Area 5: Monitoring and evaluation states that “a mid-term review of the implementation of this action plan should be published”. We note from the HPSC data that there has been a slight decrease in the overall number of new HIV infections however; there has been a huge concern over the large increase in new diagnoses in men who have sex with men (MSM). Although we cannot provide the evidence for the reason for this increase, it is stipulated that there has been a huge increase in the education and prevention programmes targeted at MSM and the report will show the evidence of that increase (Action Area 3: Preventing new infections: population group MSM). There is a presumption that because of increased awareness, access and confidence of MSM and improved treatment that there are more MSM being tested and more diagnoses. This report presents an update on the progress of the implementation of the actions in the HIV and AIDS Education and Prevention Plan 2008-2012.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.