Primary ambulatory care of HIV-infected patients should include the management of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy over an extended period of time. This experience should equal 20 patient-years of experience. AND Ten hours annually of CME that includes information on the use of antiretroviral therapy in the ambulatory care setting. Latest information about HIV disease and treatments. Advances in antiretroviral therapy continue to make HIV a dynamic field.
Data regarding new drugs and their combinations continue to emerge changing standards of practice.
Familiarity with these new drugs, their side effects, including treatment-related lipid disorders, and interactions with other drugs is a feature of basic HIV care. Immune system monitoring. Strategies to promote treatment adherence including methods to elicit information about adherence from patients as well as techniques to measure adherence in clinical practice and referral sources for adherence support services. Management of opportunistic infections and diseases. Basic familiarity with the clinical presentation and proper diagnostic approach to opportunistic diseases and a strong grasp of the therapeutic strategies to manage them are an essential part of basic HIV care.