Caliber of Care

Enhancing Clinician-Patient Dialogue about HIV Care

Many people living with HIV in the United States seek medical care through their local clinics, and physician-patient communication is an important component in ensuring that these patients receive the care and educational support that they need. Effective physician-patient communication can help lead to treatment adherence and is essential for quality patient care.

To help strengthen physician-patient communication and achieve better treatment outcomes, an expert panel of HIV clinicians partnered with IAPAC to help healthcare professionals to deliver stigma-free HIV patient care in the clinic setting through the Caliber of Care program.

Resources for the Caliber of Care program are focused on several key areas of need:

Stigma
Risk-reduction
Leadership training/team-building

Stigma-Free Discussion Guide

The first resource for the Caliber of Care program is the Stigma-Free Discussion Guide, which is now available to help clinicians engage in HIV-related stigma-free dialogue with their patients. Download the guide (PDF).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fear of stigma and discrimination not only undermines HIV prevention efforts, but also discourages people living with HIV from disclosing their status and adhering to treatment
Combating HIV-related stigma is an important step toward achieving public health goals, overcoming the HIV epidemic and improving the general mental and physical well-being of people living with the disease

Meet the Caliber of Care Expert Panel

Tanvir Bell, MD, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Stephen Boswell, MD, Fenway Community Health Center, Boston

Mamta K. Jain, MD, MPH, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas

Marc Johnson, MD, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina and University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Jason Leider, MD, PhD, North Bronx Healthcare Network of Jacobi and Central Bronx Hospitals and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York