Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices among doctors, nurses and other allied health practitioners in Makati Medical Center with regards to the care of patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS): A descriptive cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Introduction@#Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevalence has been increasing for the past years in the Philippines since the early 1980s. The health care team which is comprised of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, and other allied health practitioners is the front liner in the care and management of such patients afflicted with the disease. @*Methods@#This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices among the health workers in Makati Medical Center. A questionnaire based on the 1988 WHO Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices (KABP) of AIDS survey was used. It was sent to 307 health workers selected by cluster sampling.@*Results@#Based on the survey, sources of information among participants regarding HIV/AIDS were quite diverse; books and journals being the most common. The majority of the participants demonstrated satisfactory levels of awareness regarding HIV/AIDS and its mode of transmission; however, a small percentage of the respondents were found to have a misconception that there is a vaccine available for HIV/AIDS and that insect bites and sharing of utensils can transmit the virus. Some of the respondents also do not know much about transmission routes and there are a few who are not willing to care for and live with patients with HIV. The majority however have a positive attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS.@*Conclusion@#Most of the respondents of this research have good knowledge regarding the disease process and its mode of transmission. At the same time, the majority of the respondents also have a positive attitude and acceptance towards people living with HIV/AIDS. The data from the study can be used to develop interventions to decrease if not eliminate HIV stigma and discrimination. Interventions can include educating health care workers by utilizing all possible modalities to have a broader reach.