A National HIV Prevention Strategy: Increasing Awareness of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Primary Care Providers

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Identifier 2016_Heaney
Title A National HIV Prevention Strategy: Increasing Awareness of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Primary Care Providers
Creator Heaney, Bobbi
Subject Advanced Practice Nursing; Education, Nursing, Graduate; HIV Infections; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; Primary Prevention; Anti-Retroviral Agents; Practice Guidelines as Topic
Description Worldwide HIV rates have slowly been decreasing, except among men who have sex with men, where unfortunately rates have increased. Historically, HIV prevention strategies focused on public education surrounding safe sex practices. However, a new strategy has expanded HIV prevention to include an oral medication referred to as HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is an antiretroviral medication taken once per day, and is 90% effective at preventing HIV infection when taken regularly. Unfortunately awareness of PrEP treatment among primary care providers is inadequate, resulting in poor access to this effective HIV prevention tool. A thorough literature review reveals barriers to PrEP, indications for PrEP, and numerous research studies supporting PrEP as an efficacious therapy for prevention of HIV. Barriers to PrEP include lack of awareness among patients and healthcare providers, poor medication adherence, side effects, and perceived behavior disinhibition. Research focusing on indications for PrEP treatment has led the CDC to develop a risk assessment tool assisting healthcare providers in determining high-risk patients that may benefit from PrEP treatment. Lastly, PrEP has been proven, through several multinational studies, to be 90% effective when taken regularly. My project focuses on increasing awareness of PrEP among primary care providers (PCP) by presenting an educational PowerPoint to local PCPs on how to prescribe and manage PrEP treatment. This will assist in overcoming barriers to PrEP including lack of awareness, knowledge of potential side effects/risks of PrEP treatment, adherence strategies, and instigation of important conversations about sexual health. The four objectives for this project include: 1) identify and summarize PrEP guidelines and provider resources; 2) develop an educational intervention for PCPs; 3) present educational intervention on PrEP treatment and management and evaluate the effectiveness using a pre and post survey; and 4) disseminate scholarly project findings at a related 2016 healthcare conference and to the Utah AIDS Foundation Implementation of these objectives includes summarizing and compiling current guidelines and provider resources, creating an educational PowerPoint, creating a pre/post survey, application to the IRB for approval, obtaining permission from a local healthcare clinic to present educational intervention, conducting the training, and selecting a conference to present the project findings. Receiving feedback and approval from my project chair and content experts throughout the implementation process, as well as receiving IRB approval for the pre/post survey, and successful submission of an abstract to a 2016 conference will evaluate my objectives and implementation strategies. As specialists in preventative health care, primary care providers have the responsibility to be aware of and be knowledgeable about PrEP as an effective HIV prevention strategy. A PCP's increased knowledge on PrEP will assist in providing the best care to patients, serve to decrease a person's risk of contracting HIV, and ultimately contribute to lowering HIV transmission rates worldwide.
Relation is Part of Graduate Nursing Project, Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP
Publisher Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah
Date 2016
Type Text
Rights Management © 2016 College of Nursing, University of Utah
Holding Institution Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah
Collection Nursing Practice Project
Language eng
ARK ark:/87278/s6dj8qz1
Setname ehsl_gradnu
ID 179759
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6dj8qz1
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