Registered nurses improving screening rates for non AIDS related comorbidities in people living with HIV

Abstract

Objective: To establish whether a nurse-led screening and brief intervention project could improve screening rates for non-AIDS comorbidities in people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Design: A pre-post quantitative audit was used to evaluate the intervention of nurse-led comorbidities screening.

Setting: A publicly-funded, metropolitan, outpatient sexual health service in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Subjects: One hundred medical records of people living with HIV were reviewed in each of the pre and post audits.

Interventions: A standardised co-morbidities screening tool was developed; education sessions were conducted with the registered nurses (RNs) and written and electronic resources were used as an adjunct in screening and educating clients.

Main outcome measure: To determine if interventions, including development of a structured screening tool and education with the RNs, would improve rates of nurse-led co-morbidities screening in people with HIV attending the service.

Results: All of the co-morbidities screening done in year two was initiated by the sexual health RNs, rather than the medical officers. Improved rates of screening were noted in 20 of the 22 audited items, with 13 of these showing a statistically significant increase in the one year time period from audit one to audit two. Potential and existing comorbidities were identified and managed according to local protocols.

Conclusion: RN led comorbidities screening for people with HIV can improve rates of screening in this client group. The screening tool has now become part of nurse led standardised annual care for clients with HIV.