Study Shows AIDS Patients Need Change in Care System

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Study Shows AIDS Patients Need Change in Care System

United Press International (10/24/93) (Wasowicz, Lidia)

San Francisco--Turf wars, limited resources, and narrow goals that characterize the current system often interfere with AIDS services, say scientists, who urge a more centralized approach to the disease. Studies in Oakland, Calif., and Baltimore, Md., demonstrated a lack of coordination among many small care providers, where many functions were duplicated and others were not available at all. In many communities, dozens of small, independent organizations provide a single service, such as meals or housing, to a targeted segment of the population, like blacks, women, hemophiliacs, or gays. Studies also indicate that, unlike larger, multi-service providers who are willing to pool resources and offer a greater range of services, small providers do little or no referrals and rarely share resources. "Little effort is put into coordinating service delivery with others," says Thomas Rundall, professor of public health at the University of California, Berkeley. "AIDS patients often have to find and coordinate services on their own or go without. They may not know what they really need, much less where to get it."

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