Continuing Medical Education Activity Enduring Material
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is accredited by the Florida Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
You must complete the Evaluation to get access to the Test. Upon Completion you will be directed to the Test page.
Since the discovery of HIV, scientists have made major inroads in understanding modes of transmission, infectivity, and pathogenicity. Knowledge about the characteristics and behavior of this human retrovirus and its complex mechanisms of immunopathogenesis has helped to develop targeted therapeutic interventions and vaccine strategies. Sophisticated techniques have been and are being developed to diagnose infection, to monitor immune decline, to monitor response to therapy and disease progression, and to accurately detect and diagnose opportunistic diseases.
Therapeutic alternatives, especially the nucleoside analogue antiretroviral drugs, have been tested, approved, and are providing benefit to many who are HIV-infected. Much has been learned about the complexities of caring for HIV-infected persons, how to keep them disease-free longer, and how to manage their symptoms more effectively. In addition, the development of new knowledge from HIV-related research also has helped to clarify aspects of the human immune response, behavioral interventions, public health strategies, and social and ethical approaches that contribute to the understanding and management of other diseases and health conditions.
Healthcare professionals will continue to play a major and significant role in preventing the spread of HIV infection and in caring for those who are infected or affected by HIV. As the demographics of HIV infection evolve, both in the United States and around the world, it is clear that all healthcare professionals in all practice settings will be involved to some extent with HIV infection. To be effective and provide compassionate care, adequate and up-to-date information about transmission, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care of HIV-infected individuals must be obtained by all healthcare professionals. They must feel comfortable with this knowledge in order to provide care, educate patients and others, and fulfill their professional obligations without undue fear or anxiety.
Educational Objectives: At the conclusion of this activity, the learner should be able to:
1. | Review modes of transmission (including transmission from healthcare worker to patient and patient to healthcare worker)
2. | Describe infection control procedures (including universal precautions)
3. | Summarize epidemiology of the disease and related infections including TB
4. | Discuss Clinical Management and Prevention
5. | Describe current Florida Law on AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results and treatment of patients.
