Document 1805
 DOCN  M94A1805
 TI    The health care delivery system for HIV/AIDS patients in Italy: a
       nationwide survey.
 DT    9412
 AU    Guzzanti E; Arici C; Ippolito G; Mastrilli F; Rizzi M; Scheggi M; Center
       for Health Care for HIV Infected Patients, National; Commission on
       AIDS-Rome, Italy.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):447 (abstract no. PD0398). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94370770
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the health care delivery system and pattern of
       use of in- and out patient hospitalization for HIV/AIDS patients in
       Italy. METHODS: A one day cross-sectional study was conducted in the
       autumn of 1992. Data about type of structure, staffing, organization,
       case of AIDS notified, patient with HIV infection (PwH) cared for were
       collected. SETTING: One hundred eight out of 147 departments for
       infectious diseases who notified about 88% of all italian AIDS cases. In
       Italy infectious diseases departments are identified as almost exclusive
       units for PwH. RESULTS: The day of the survey a total of 1759 patients
       attended to out-patient clinics and 1655 in-patients were recorded. More
       than 50% of patients cared for were HIV positive. Out of 613 AIDS
       patients, 13.5% had no previous knowledge of their HIV infection befor
       hospital admission, while 63% had been diagnosed as infected more than 2
       years before admission. Twenty-five percent of PwH were receiving an
       antiviral treatment and 5% out of in-patients had tuberculosis. The
       analysis by severity of in-patients showed that 15% had a severe
       compromission of brain function and about 7% of them were in a quite
       vegetative life. About a quarter of in-patients had a Karnofsky score
       less than 40. CONCLUSIONS: The italian model for providing care for PwH
       is effective in spite of the shortage in bed, but need an improvement in
       terms of number and quality of hospital-bed and comprehensive services
       for home and long-term care.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/THERAPY  *Delivery of Health
       Care/ORGANIZATION & ADMIN  Human  HIV Infections/*THERAPY  Italy
       MEETING ABSTRACT

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