Are physicians aware of current HIV / AIDS diagnostic practices? A study from a tertiary centre in Turkey

Early diagnosis of HIV infection is essential for the reduction of morbidity/mortality rates, health expenditures and the prevention of infection spread. In this study we aimed to test the knowledge of physicians regarding HIV risk groups, AIDS indicator diseases and their current practices about screening. A questionnaire was used to collect data from physicians working in a multidisciplinary 170-bed tertiary university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The questionnaire measured physician knowledge of the above-mentioned points. Ninety-six physicians replied to the questionnaire. "Preoperative screening" was found to be the most common (65.6%) indication for HIV testing. A large portion of physicians (72.9%) felt comfortable with an HIV test and 71.9% of the physicians had no impeding condition for HIV testing. Physicians were mostly (67.7%) unaware of the current guidelines for HIV testing. Teaching programs are essential to increase knowledge of HIV screening for physicians as this is an essential part of early diagnosis and therefore important for decreasing morbidity and mortality.