HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
The goal of this project was to look at Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) clinician's challenges in providing counseling for HIV PEP and how patients find the information and materials they are given. The end result is a recommended toolkit that would help to decrease the challenges faced by SAFE clinicians and make recommendations that would improve the efficiency of the information materials that are given to sexual assault survivors. [Read the full report (pdf)]
Summary of Key Recommendations for Provider Training, Toolkit and Patient Materials
A comprehensive toolkit with the information that applies to different aspects around HIV PEP counseling should be produced. This toolkit should include:
- A front sheet that serves as a procedural checklist - A simple list of the process that the provider should go through in administering care to the patient.
- A script for counseling around HIV to help with communicating with patients - A script that will give guidance on what and how information should be conveyed to the patient.
- Technical information for the provider - This technical information is for the knowledge and better understanding of the provider. (NB: The portion of the script for communicating information on medication to the patients would be very different from this provider technical information; the language with the patient will remain simple and free of technical jargon.)
- Clinician guidelines for assessing risk levels - This will help simplify the sensitive task of understanding if HIV PEP is the appropriate treatment for the patient.
- Communication guidelines for clinicians - This is just to give the provider tips on how to communicate with the patients in a simple way that can enable them make an informed decision on taking the HIV PEP.
- Information on how HIV PEP treatment cost is handled by that facility - This helps the provider give the patient information on who is covering the cost of treatment in that program, so it does not deter the provider from offering the HIV PEP, and also does not deter patients from taking the HIV PEP if they need it.
- A chart of who is responsible for the different roles in the system of counseling and treatment around HIV PEP - This will help providers efficiently provide care to the patient by directing appropriately to where or who they can get relevant services from within the facility.
- A checklist of other components of the process - This will help providers know the responsibilities and services of other parts of the system (e.g. the ER should know what exactly the HIV clinic handles, and vice versa) to enable smooth referrals especially in cases that present unusual situations.
- An internal resource sheet - This will help providers make referrals in exceptional/unusual situations.
- An external resource list - This will be helpful to the provider for referral purposes and helpful to the patient in accessing a wider range of services.
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