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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Victoria H. Raveis, PhD1, Daniel Karus, MS1, Katherine Marconi, PhD2, Peter A. Selwyn, MD, MPH3, Margaret Perrone, RN4, Barbara Hanna, MD5, Elizabeth Patterson, JD, BSN6, and Herbert A. Rosefield, EdD7. (1) Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Center for Psychosocial Study of Health and Illness, 100 Haven Avenue, Suite 6A, New York, NY 10032, 212-304-5563, vhr1@columbia.edu, (2) Office of Science and Epidemiology, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Bldg., 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (3) Department of Family Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, 3544 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10467, (4) University of Maryland, Baltimore, 29 S. Greene Street, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21201, (5) AIDS Services Center, Inc., P.O. Box 1392, Anniston, AL 36202, (6) Catholic Community Services, 3040 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07306, (7) Volunteers of America, 4513 Gates Street, Raleigh, NC 27609
Ensuring appropriate care for individuals dying with HIV/AIDS is a significant public health issue. HIV disease is increasingly affecting segments of society that lack access to health care or whose lifestyle and behavior adversely impacts treatment. For those unable to tolerate treatment or for whom aggressive therapy is no longer effective, palliative care is essential. Such services are often fragmented or limited in many medical settings, particularly in impoverished communities. In addition, there are differences in the provision of palliative services to HIV/AIDS populations not addressed within a "standard" palliative care model. The special requirements and characteristics of the disease and affected population necessitate that palliative care be delivered within the societal context of the epidemic. The disease trajectory presents challenges in determining when to appropriately institute palliative treatments. The lifestyle imposes treatment challenges that necessitate the inclusion of professionals not traditionally represented on a palliative care service. Integrating care delivery with other services provided to individuals with HIV/AIDS can facilitate a seamless transition between active treatment and palliative care and decrease the likelihood of gaps in care. An initiative by the HIV/AIDS Bureau, HRSA/SPNS, is supporting innovative palliative care programs targeting the homeless, uninsured, substance abusers, mentally ill, and incarcerated individuals with HIV/AIDS. Five demonstration projects, targeting diverse HIV/AIDS population groups, have been funded through this initiative. This presentation will discuss how the special requirements and characteristics of both the disease and the affected population have defined the range, focus, delivery site and staffing of these care programs.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access and Services, Death
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.