Computer Use in the HIV Primary Care Clinic: Patient and Provider Perspectives

Background: Patients infected with HIV face unique psychosocial stressors thus good quality patient-provider relationships are essential. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether computers use by providers during outpatient visits for HIV-infected patients negatively affected the encounter. Design/Participants: Two hundred HIV-infected patients and twenty HIV providers were surveyed at an adult HIV clinic in a cross sectional survey study. Main Measures: Main measures used for this study were demographic variables and survey questions based on effects of computer use on interpersonal contact and communication using a Likert Scale. Results: The majority of patients felt that it was appropriate for a provider to use a computer during the visit and were satisfied with the care they received. However, patients who did not own a personal computer, were female, had lower educational status, had detectable viral load, had lower CD4 cell count or had not disclosed their HIV status were more likely to negatively perceive provider computer use. Most providers felt that they missed non-verbal cues when using the computer (70%) and that computer use in the exam room did not improve the relationship with the patient (75%). Conclusion: Providers can be assured that patients do not view the computer as negatively as they do. The study identified specific patient populations which may benefit from providers using the computer less in the exam room.