Intention of residents in internal medicine to care for patients infected with HIV at a university hospital in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to investigate internal medicine residents' HIV-related knowledge and their attitudes towards caring for HIV-infected patients, and determine the extent to which these variables influence their care-providing intention. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 56 internal medicine residents at a university hospital in Taiwan. Results showed residents' lack of sufficient knowledge was reflected by their inaccurate assessment of HIV-associated risk and their tendency to overuse protective gear in unnecessary situations. In general, residents expressed slightly positive attitudes with a neutral intention to care for HIV-infected patients. Knowledge and attitudes were significantly correlated with intention. The use of stepwise regression analysis revealed attitudes accounted for 59% of the variance in intention. Future efforts should focus on designing, implementing, and evaluating educational programmes that address residents' needs to ensure a solid HIV-related knowledge base, support their positive attitudes, address their ambivalent feelings toward providing HIV care, and enhance their intention to care for HIV-infected patients.