HIV Care

A Comprehensive Handbook for Providers

The treatment of HIV is perhaps the most demanding and complex aspect of work for today's health care provider. Often the first decision providers and patients make is whether or not to test for the virus; this is only the first in a series of involved--and often troubling--decisions confronting both provider and patient. HIV Care considers many of the diverse elements affecting and affected by this illness, from its physical and neuropsychological manifestations to its legal and financial implications. Addressing concerns about HIV testing, the authors introduce a practical risk assessment tool and discuss some of the subjects and approaches germane to pre- and posttest counseling. Medical management is surveyed, exploring not only traditional therapies but experimental and complementary ones such as acupuncture, exercise, and diet. The psychological, psychosocial, and spiritual impacts of HIV are also considered, often generating conflicting perspectives. Finally, pragmatic issues including housing and home care, financial assistance, and legal issues pertaining to the counseling of HIV-positive patients are presented. Appendixes record laws related to HIV by state, catalog available legal assistance, and list state and national resources for HIV patients. Offering a thorough look at the most recent developments in HIV treatment, this handbook will serve as a powerful reference guide for practitioners in primary care, nursing, and public health, or anyone working with HIV patients. "The authors have compiled an extremely useful and easy-to-use handbook that should be on the desk of all primary care providers who treat HIV-positive individuals. Of particular interest are the legal issues where the state laws for each state are outlined concerning reporting, informed consent, confidentiality, affirmative duty to disclose, quarantine, mandatory testing, and transmission crime. This is a highly recommended book for all medical, public, and academic libraries; but especially for the professional primary care provider. It answers many questions for those who have not had the years of experience of dealing with HIV-positive patients." --AIDS Book Review Journal