We carried out a prospective structured interview with 71% of the HIV cohort in Plymouth to establish patients’ views on recording HIV status and details of HIV care in routine hospital and primary care notes. Forty-nine percent of patients did not want their HIV status routinely documented in hospital notes and 57% did not want hospital staff to have access to results of sexual health screens (SHSs). In light of these results, we plan to offer patients the option to opt out of using hospital notes for documentation of their HIV care and will be providing SHSs under a separate genitourinary medicine (GU) patient number.
BHIVA Standards of Care 2007. See http://www.bhiva.org/documents/Guidelines/Standards/StandardsHIVClinicalCare.pdf (last checked 14 November 2011)
2.
NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) Directions 2000.See http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_4083027 (last checked 14 November 2011)
3.
Duty to Involve Patients Strengthened. Briefing on Section 242 of NHS Act 2006. See http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_081089 (last accessed 14 November 2011)
4.
JagoA, ChallenorR. Patient feedback – facilitated or not – which is the best way?Int J STD AIDS2011;22(Suppl. 1): 130
5.
GMC Guidance on Good practice: Confidentiality. 2009. See http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance/confidentiality.asp (last checked 14 November 2011)
