University of Pittsburgh MAAETC staff met virtually with Andromeda (Andi) Fair, MSN, CRNP, WHNP-BC, FNP-BC, to discuss her upcoming presentation, "The Role of HIV Testing, Delivery, & Counseling Strategies in Clinical Settings," that will take place as part of the June 12, 2024 In-Person Dinner Symposium, "Meeting the Challenges to Prevent and Treat HIV." Logistics were discussed including the location, timing of the event and Andi Fair's presentation, the objectives for the program Fair will present, and the focus/topics of the entire symposium was outlined as follows: practices in HIV prevention, care, and treatment to address emerging and existing clinical challenges in all vulnerable populations; HIV testing, delivery, and counseling strategies; pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and antiretroviral therapy (ART); and navigatng barriers and challenges to successful retention in care and adherence. The location and agenda/timing of the event was detailed, with the specifics that it will take place in the Yehl Ballroom of the Waldron Campus Center at Gannon University at 628 Peach Street, Erie, PA, starting on June 12, 2024, with registration at 4:15pm ET, dinner at 4:45 pm, opening remarks at 5:30 pm, and Fair's 45-minute presentation starting at 6:00 pm. Besides the agenda, the following objectives were discussed for her planned presentation, "The Role of HIV Testing, Delivery, & Counseling Strategies in Clinical Settings."
Objectives:
- Review methods for identifying clinical signs and symptoms that indicate the need for HIV testing.
- Describe the types of HIV tests, how to administer them, how to interpret results, and how to communicate those results to the patient.
- Outline the different steps involved in test result delivery and counseling.
Fair suggested adding/working other risk factors into the objectives--including sexual behaviors--and the most updated specific populations recommendations for HIV testing (found at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm) including the recommendation of the CDC that all patients between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care, and that this could be a part of "indications for HIV testing." Fair also suggested to MAAETC staff to reach out to other local universities, besides Gannon, including Penn State Behrend, Mercyhurst, and Edinboro, as well as all three major hospitals in Erie County--UPMC Hamot, AHN Saint Vincent, and Millcreek Community Hospital (LECOM Health). Limiting the second objective scope to delineating what tests should be administered for various populations and settings was suggested as well. Fair was advised to add these revisions to the objectives to the speaker agreement.
