AEGiS-ATN: Geneva Medical Report Now on Web

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Geneva Medical Report Now on Web

AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #300, August 7, 1998
John S. James

An excellent two-hour summary of major practical themes from the 12th World AIDS Conference, intended primarily for HIV care providers, is now available in both text and audio on the Web. This program, two panel discussions sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service, the University of California San Francisco AIDS Program at San Francisco General Hospital, and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), had a projected audience of 100,000 through an interactive satellite broadcast, a simultaneous interactive netcast, and the transcript and audio which is the subject of this announcement. Unlike most medical programs today, it was not financed by pharmaceutical companies.

The discussions were led by John G. Bartlett, M.D., from Johns Hopkins, and Paul Volberding, M.D., from San Francisco General Hospital. Since this conversation occurred a month after the conference, the eight panelists, all physicians, had had time to reflect on which information was most important for medical care today and in the near future. While intended mainly for medical professionals, this material will be useful for patients as well.

A disadvantage of the archived program is that the transcript was made quickly, without time for the presenters to correct it; as of this writing there were minor ambiguities or possibilities for misinterpretation in the written version. The audio feed, which is good quality, avoids most of these problems, but requires fairly modern computer equipment and software. Individuals or organizations might want to tape the audio to make it available to persons who do not have the computer equipment required to receive it directly. In any case, it may be useful to listen to the audio while following the written text as well, since learning is most effective when material is both seen and heard.

Topics discussed include new antiretrovirals (especially efavirenz), protease inhibitors and how to use them, hydroxyurea, when to start antiretroviral treatment, HIV treatment during pregnancy, more sensitive viral load tests, viral resistance testing, post-exposure prevention, the possibility of less aggressive antiretroviral approaches, adherence issues, twice daily and even once-daily antiretroviral dosing regimens, body-shape changes and metabolic disorders, salvage therapy, cost-effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment, underserved populations, access to care, prevention of mother-infant transmission, and the need for experienced physicians in quality HIV care.

Both the written transcript and the audio program are available at http://hopkins-aids.edu/geneva/info.html.

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